


Bullet of Frost

by Rapidash



Category: Iron Fey Series - Julie Kagawa
Genre: Dark, F/M, Faeries - Freeform, Fanfiction, Fantasy, Hurt, Love, Nevernever, Pre Meghan Chase, faerie - Freeform, fey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-01-22 19:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 22,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12489132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rapidash/pseuds/Rapidash
Summary: For years, Prince Ash has tricked and seduced unfortunate mortal young women. They all seemed to be the same: innocent to the games of fey, willing, and always broken in heart and spirit in the end. Yet, there was one woman who was...different. This is the story of that one woman, that one spirit, who could not be broken. Yet, Ash still pursues his game......what a mistake.





	1. Chapter 1

***DISCLAIMER*** I do not own any of the following characters or places. The following characters/places belong to Julie Kagawa: Prince Ash, Prince Rowan, Prince Sage, Queen Mab, Thornguards, Nevernever.

 

Betrayal.  
Death.  
Shadows and darkness.  
This is what we are made of. That is what we are. We are darker than the meaning of the word ‘dark.’ We are as unmerciful as an ever angry cobra. We are the Unseelie: the coldest, darkest race of fey in our world.  
We are made from shadows and death.  
And I am the youngest son of their queen.  
It isn’t all that depressing. When you’ve lived and grown up in a realm completely masked in shadows and fifteen inch snow and ice, you learn to tolerate the mischief and constant bickering. Being in the Winter court meant constantly watching your back, burying your emotions into the deepest nook of your very being, and carrying around a weapon – preferably a sharp one – around with you at all times.  
The Winter Court is quite unpredictable, and any unfortunate human or summer faerie that stumbles into it either out of curiosity or complete stupidity, is as good as dead. Even we royals have to watch our back frequently; there is always someone, or something plotting an attempt to murder you or turn you into their midday snack. Winter is a dangerous place to be – even for its rulers.  
Ever since I can remember, I’ve lived with my mother, Queen Mab, and two older brothers, Sage and Rowan. Sage was the eldest, and in my opinion, the most mature of us three. Rowan, on the other hand was the exact opposite. Rowan knew his title and position in the royal family, and he flaunted it. Whenever he acted like he was the most important – and attractive – being in all of Winter, it made me want to bite a pillow or hit my head against one of the many walls of ice that decorated the palace. Sometimes he did it just to irritate me.  
And then there’s me. I am the youngest of us three, and probably the most naïve. I was only a few decades old – still too young yet to fully understand all the games and riddles of Winter. I was also a bit different from my two brothers. While they preferred staying in the palace getting pampered and adored all day, I preferred hunting in the Wyldwood. It was the most unpredictable and challenging wood to hunt in. It gave me an adrenaline rush, which helped me to get through each day sometimes.  
A quiet knock sounded at my door one bleak October afternoon. I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath to calm myself. I’d been napping for about five minutes and someone just has to interrupt my rest. I was still exhausted from my previous hunt in which my stallion, Calx, had been startled by hungry raccoon while I’d been in the position to shoot a lone doe. Calx had given a shrill whinny to scare off the raccoon, which had startled the deer, which made the raccoon charge Calx, which eventually led up to me lying flat on the ground with Calx angrily snorting and pawing the ground, protecting me from the shrieking raccoon. Irritated by the fact that I’d lost my dinner and probably would spend several more hours searching for another one, I leapt to my feet, drew my sword, and put an end to the raccoon’s piercing scream.  
After calming Calx down, I’d sliced the raccoon open to check for visible parasites. Bile threatened to rise in my throat as pale, slimy worms the size of my thumb slowly wriggled out. I quickly froze them where they were, spreading a thick sheet of ice over the disgusting creatures with my winter glamour. I usually didn’t become nauseous at the sight of slimy worms, but parasites were where I drew the line.  
A few decades ago, when I’d been only five in human years, Rowan had told me with a sneer that everyone had some sort of parasite – good or bad – living inside them. Well, considering I was five years old, I’d ended up grossed out and in tears because of the thought. Mab had found us a few minutes later and scolded Rowan for making me cry. Of course he’d rolled his eyes and scampered off, probably to go spy on some of the older female sidhe in the palace.  
After Mab had calmed me down and told me that yes, faeries had bacteria living inside us, but no not parasites, I’d felt a little better. After that I’d searched for my brother and when I’d found him, kicked him hard in the shin with my boot. What happened afterward was rather hazy, and I really didn’t wish to revisit the memory.  
Restraining a sigh of annoyance, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. It only took a few strides to cross my room to the thick, wooden door; my room was quite small compared to the rest of my families’.  
I opened the door just a crack – just in case the creature on the other side was planning on trying to kill me. The shy phouka, Caige, stood on the other side. She wasn’t very tall – she only stood a few inches above my waist – but if she wanted, she could break my ribs in less than a minute.  
“What is it, Caige?” I asked her quietly, keeping my voice bored, and just slightly irritated.  
“Queen Mab has requested your presence, your highness,” Caige replied, her hands shaking just slightly.  
No, not now. “All right, tell her I’ll be there in a moment.”  
She nodded and gave a quick bow. I watched her as she hurried off down the white, icy hallway toward the throne room.  
After changing into a pair of clean black pants, and a blue linen shirt, I headed down towards the throne room, where I prayed I wouldn’t get my ass chewed.  
My mother was never the friendliest – or kindest – faerie in the Nevernever. In fact, she wasn’t friendly at all – especially toward the summer fey. She was rather tall, with a fierce but willowy look to her. Her hair was so black that it appeared blue sometimes, and often she would wear it down, letting it cascade down her lean back in a waterfall of ink.  
She was eerily pale with eyes as black as her hair, her eyelashes sometimes tinted with tiny snowflakes. The worst – and most frightening – thing about Mab was how she spoke to the enemy. She didn’t yell, or raise her voice; she would simply stare them in the eye, and speak with the kind of voice that made your blood run cold.  
Now, as I entered the throne room, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Something was going on, and I had the sickening feeling in my gut that it had to do with me. Two palace guards were stationed at each entrance of the room, standing rigid and still as statues. Rowan and Sage were already there, standing a few feet away from each other as usual. Sage’s wolf turned and pricked his ears at me as I walked in, the animal’s eyes glittering like gold malice.  
My sword bumped lightly against my hip as I stopped in front of Mab and knelt down on one knee before her. The worst part of it all was the absolute silence that greeted me every time I arrived before the queen. I stayed down on one knee until Mab addressed me quietly. Her voice was smooth and deadly as it always was. But this time it sounded a bit restrained, as if she wanted to tell me something and was debating whether to really share the information or not.  
“I called you three here to make you all aware of an important event that is soon to come.” She glanced over at Sage. “Sage, you are aware of this event considering the fact that you were there on that very day when Winter bought Welkin. You witnessed the signings of the special contracts. You know what I speak of.”  
My eldest brother nodded, carefully keeping his expression calm and reserved. “Yes, my queen. I am quite aware of it. Even if I was too young back then to understand the contract, I now know fully the rules of this particular game.”  
Game? What the hell were they talking about? I bit my tongue to keep from blurting out the question. I’d learned not to do that long ago. Sage’s icy green eyes glinted with something I’d only seen a few times before – when we were much younger. I didn’t wish to think deeper on it.  
Rowan smirked at me; he could tell I was confused with the whole subject. I clenched my teeth and shifted lightly from foot to foot, suddenly growing uncomfortable. Had Winter made a secret contract with the Summer Court? Or perhaps some foreign race of fey I’d never heard about? I’d never heard the name Welkin spoken before.  
“My queen, perhaps you should explain this whole subject to our younger brother. He has never heard of this, and I think he would find the topic quite fascinating,” Rowan finally spoke up after what seemed like eternity. He glanced over and winked at me, which could only mean trouble. Rowan’s middle name was trouble.  
I allowed myself one icy glare toward my brother, silently cursing him for speaking up when it was really my place to ask the question. He did this more than once. He loved making me look like a fool.  
Mab turned her steady gaze on me, staring straight into my eyes. “Ah, yes. You have never been to Welkin, have you, Ash?” Her lips pulled into a dark smile of amusement. “Many centuries ago, before you were born, Winter made a contract with the little mining town of Welkin, located in the barbaric country of Sheera. The contract simply stated that they would be in the ownership of the Winter Court for twelve centuries. This will be its fourth.  
“Every two centuries the nobles of Winter travel to Welkin to simply remind those idiotic humans who’s in charge. The gentry normally stay there for three to five months, living in one of the Redcoat households during that time.” Mab’s demeanor had turned serious. “But be warned, my son, that there are dangerous little whelps in that town, many of which we’ve had to exterminate in the past.”  
I felt a dark chill run up my spine when she used the word exterminate. I gave a nod of understanding. “Yes, my queen. I will keep that in mind.”  
Mab gave a small nod in return. “In the past, it has always been nobles and other fey gentry who have gone to Welkin. But this time, I wanted at least two members from the royal family to go.”  
Rowan’s calm, relaxed expression quickly morphed into surprise when Mab said two members of the royal family. In reality, there were only four of us, and it was rare that Mab ever left her kingdom for a vacation to a human village, except for once in a while. That meant it would be both Sage and Rowan, Sage and I, or…  
“I do not wish to discuss my intentions for doing it this way!” Mab snapped at Rowan when he opened his mouth to say something. He quickly shut it and lowered his gaze, suddenly finding the shiny floor of ice exceedingly fascinating.  
“If I may ask who you had in mind to go to Welkin, my queen?” I asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice. My heart was pounding in my chest. I prayed that she wouldn’t make me go with Rowan. If she did we’d probably end up killing each other. My brother and I didn’t really get along.  
Mab’s lips pulled back into the calm, dark smile she used whenever she was exceedingly amused. “I put much thought into it, and have decided for you and Rowan to go this time. Sage must stay behind just in case I need him. Summer has been growing quite snoopy of late.”  
An awkward silence filled the room, and gradually my heart rate slowed. I glanced over at my brother – the one who was to be my traveling companion for the next few months. Rowan glared at me without turning his head. I felt my lower lip curl up slightly in disgust. He hid his hands behind his back and flipped me the bird when Mab wasn’t looking.  
I quickly looked away so I wouldn’t raise my own middle finger at him in response. Mab would surely catch it, considering she was now looking at me intently, as if she was waiting for the answer to a question.  
“Well, aren’t you going to answer me?” she said quietly. Rowan smirked. I told myself as soon as we were out of sight of the queen I would strangle him.  
“Um, I…could you –” I started to say, but Mab cut me off.  
“I asked you what your thoughts were on the matter, Ash! Open your ears! Or should I have the cook clean them out with a scalpel?” she snapped.  
I flinched slightly, even Sage’s wolf jumped a little, immediately alert. Mab was getting pissed, and it was never a pretty sight when our mother was angry. I couldn’t lie. No fey could lie, but we could bend the truth. “I respect your wishes, my queen. I shall go to Welkin with my brother.” I was so thankful my voice didn’t tremble.  
No longer amused, Mab sat back in her chair and narrowed her eyes at me. “Very well. You and Rowan will depart at dawn. Now, get out of my sight! You’ve given me quite the headache.”  
We quickly dispersed, Sage and his wolf heading east toward the main entrance, Rowan and I heading back to our rooms. If we were to leave at dawn, I wanted to get packed and enough sleep so I would be alert and not half conscious by tomorrow morning.  
“Well that was quite shocking. I actually wasn’t expecting the decision she made,” Rowan spoke up behind me.  
I could just feel the smirk in his voice. Anger surged through me and I resisted the urge to shove an ice dagger up his nose. That was one thing Rowan hated: nosebleeds. But instead, I kept my face blank as I turned to face him. “Careful. If you speak any louder you’ll wake the dead.”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” His easy smirk quickly changed into an irritated glare.  
I felt my own snarky grin tug at the corners of my mouth. “Ever fucked a dead whore?”  
That was definitely a mistake. In the blink of an eye, my brother had me pinned tightly to the wall, an ice dagger at my throat. “Would you really dare to insult your dear older brother, Ash? Are you really tired of living? I could easily fix that for you. Just ask. Your wish is my command,” he snarled. His radiant blue eyes glittered with savage glee.  
“Kindly step away from me, if you would. Your breath reeks of goblin shit,” I hissed back at him.  
He brought his knee up at drove it hard into my groin. I winced and clenched my teeth to keep from crying out. “You are such a little brat. Someone should teach you some manners!” Rowan pulled back his fist and drove it as hard as he could into my gut, causing me to bend over and stagger back with the impact. “What would our mother say if she found out you were behaving like a child around your brothers? I bet she’d shove a butter knife down on your little fingers with her own hand! Boy, I sure would like to see that.” He grinned and punched me in the stomach again.  
I coughed and felt the warm liquid sensation of blood trickling down my chin. I raised my head and spat at my brother’s face. Dark crimson splattered onto his pale cheek, and he let an animal-like growl slip from the bottom of his throat. He pressed his cold lips against my ear, pinning me against the wall again. “You are such a little son of a bitch. Don’t make me really hurt you,” he whispered.  
He let me go, and I fought to stay steady on my feet. I glared at Rowan’s back and watched as he walked down the hall and disappeared into his room. This was going to be just a fantastic trip.


	2. Chapter 2

I didn’t come down for dinner that night. I was too exhausted from all the events from previous days. I needed some rest. My insides still burned slightly from when Rowan had punched me, but I was gradually recovering. Since I was in Winter territory, let alone my place of birth, I healed quite quickly from whatever wounds I received earlier.  
The palace was unusually quiet that evening. Caige brought up some food the cooks had saved for me, and after setting the icy tray on my nightstand, she gave a quick bow and scampered off. Little by little, I ate the small portions of food while listening to the eerie silence outside my bedroom door. Winter was only this quiet during the summer months, when most of the Unseelie were “hibernating”, which meant more or less sulking around the palace, waiting for the winter months to return so they could stay up all night dancing, singing (yelling and screaming), and of course more than once, sharing a little affection.  
I tolerated the loudness of Winter during our season. Usually after the night of Samhain, I’d disappear into the Wyldwood for a few weeks to hunt and just enjoy the peacefulness of the forest.  
But what jerked me awake that very eve of Rowan and my departure to Welkin was not at all peaceful. When my sidhe ears registered the bone chilling sound, something happened that had never occurred before.  
My blood ran cold. For the first time in my life, even for a shortest of a millisecond, I felt…cold.  
I jerked upright in bed, startled by the sudden piercing, blood curdling scream that echoed down the hallway. My heart pounded and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.   
Something was wrong. Very wrong.  
I slowly slipped out of bed and pulled on my darkest clothes, so as to blend in with the shadows if needed. I pulled on my black leather hunting boots and grabbed a couple daggers from my collection on the wall.   
Keeping careful as to be swift and quiet as possible, I slipped down the dark hallway toward the screams. Apparently, Rowan and Sage had heard the commotion as well and stepped out of their rooms. They wore all black, same as I, and carried their swords on their hips. I’d left mine in my room, after freezing the lock shut from the outside. I wasn’t that stupid. Hidden under my bed in a black cage were three small yellow spotted lizards. Their skin was extremely poisonous even to the fey, and one little touch would kill a sidhe in minutes. Before leaving my room, I’d carefully lathered both my daggers with the lizard’s poison.  
“What the hell–” Rowan started to say, but Sage and I shushed him.   
“Keep quiet. You don’t want to alert whatever is torturing the poor creature down there that we’re here,” Sage chastised him.  
Rowan made a face at our eldest brother but didn’t say anything. We quietly crept along the wall down the hallway toward the awful, bone chilling sounds. When we finally rounded a corner and saw several palace guards standing outside a black doorway with a black rose nailed to the front, my instincts went on high alert. What were they doing here? What was going on?  
Of course, Rowan had to make a big show of marching up to the closest guard, whom I recognized as Thistle, and demanding to know what was going on. Thistle merely regarded Rowan with a calm, bored expression and shook his head. “One of our warriors was attacked in Welkin.” His waist length white hair seemed to darken a bit as he added, “gunshot wound.”  
I swallowed and clenched my hands around my daggers to keep them from shaking. I’d never actually been shot by a gun, but other fey in the Winter Court had. Some had even been killed by it. Bullets from a Welkin gun were made of cast iron, and sometimes even embedded with witch magic. The people of Welkin not only believed in the fey, but also in witches.  
“You all right, little brother? You look a little pale,” Rowan mused, his eyes wickedly snarky once more.  
“I’m fine,” was all I said in reply. I wanted to slap that arrogant look right off his face, but of course that would be a sign of anger, which was an emotion. And emotions were a weakness in the Winter Court.  
Rowan shook his head and stepped up to the door. No sound came from the other side, and for a moment I actually thought that the guard who’d been shot was dead. But then one of our best healers, Diuq, stepped out of the room. She was young, but very talented in the arts of healing. Rowan grinned at her as she stopped before him. She was strange: her skin was pale white, and her hair inky black. But her eyes were made of thick white mist, giving her a creepy, ghostly look.   
She respectively curtsied, and then silently glided away down the hall. Perhaps the guard really was dead. Thistle frowned and pushed open the black door. I stepped forward and managed to get a look at the injured guard.   
Bile rose in my throat and my hands began to shake. I swallowed back nausea and quickly looked away from the thing that lay on the low bed inside the dimly lit room. Rowan was either too proud or too chicken to look, so he just stood there and grinned stupidly at me, obviously amused at my sudden discomfort.  
“Wow, Ash. I never thought you’d be sickened by the sight of a bullet wound,” he drawled, letting his voice sound like liquid shadow.  
“Why don’t you go look, then?” I shot back at him, fighting the suddenly almost unbearable urge to vomit.   
Rowan hesitated. “I don’t like ugly things.”  
“Then why do stand in front of the mirror drooling over yourself every day for half the morning?” Sage jumped in, his voice quiet yet fighting back laughter.  
We both turned our heads in his direction, surprise clearly written on both our faces. “What did you say?” Rowan snarled, all traces of amusement gone from his eyes, replaced by icy rage.  
“I think he just called you ugly,” I said, which was a definite mistake.  
“No shit!” Rowan marched up to me and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, pulled my face close to his. “Why don’t you shut that pretty little mouth of yours for once, little brother and I’ll consider making the next five centuries less miserable for you?” Frost crept over the walls as he spoke. I stayed absolutely still with the best calm expression on my face as I could muster.   
I was feeling much better now and considered knocking my head hard against his. But, deciding against it, I nodded to show I understood.  
“No need to be cruel, Rowan,” Sage said quietly, interrupting our silent feud.  
Rowan let go of me and stepped back, turning his nasty glare on Sage. “You stay out of this. This is between Ash and I.” After saying those words, he turned on his heel and strode away back to his room.  
I hadn’t noticed him before, but out of the shadows, Sage’s wolf appeared, sitting beside his master’s legs. He watched Rowan stride away with deep yellow eyes, growling lowly in his throat. I didn’t blame him. Sage turned back to me. “What did you see?” he asked me slowly, his voice almost inaudible.  
I had absolutely no desire to describe what I saw to him. The horribly grotesque image of the wounded guard, alive but no longer the beautiful winter sidhe he once was. “He’s still alive, but it is not a pretty picture,” was all I told my brother.  
He didn’t say anything else; just simply strode over to the open doorway and looked in. His expression didn’t change, and for a split second I became jealous of him. But then, considering the fact that he was at least two centuries older than me, he could have seen much worse in his lifetime. “Oh.” A strange tension suddenly came over his body, making him clench his fists. His eyes hardened and he looked over at me, meeting my eyes.  
“Witchcraft,” was the blood chilling word that escaped past his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

It was only a matter of hours before Rowan and I would depart for Welkin. Back in my room, I packed all the supplies that I was going to need for the next five to six months. I grabbed a couple daggers from my wall and slipped one in each boot. The ones with the poisoned blades I left hiding under my mattress, so no one would find them and get any ideas.  
Mina, my black and white guinea pig, squeaked softly in her cage. She had been a small gift from Sage on my last birthday, and I’d taken care of her well, making sure to keep her hidden from Rowan and his pesky Thornguards. I stepped over and unlatched the cage door, carefully lifting her out. I held her gently to my chest and patted her small head with my index finger.   
“I’ll be going away for a while, so you’ll be in Sage’s hands from now until I return.” Mina squeaked and nibbled at my finger in response. I petted her for a while, but then she started to squirm. A few moments later she went completely still, her eyes wide. I quickly placed her back in her cage, knowing what happened after guinea pigs went completely still when someone was holding them. I gave her fresh water and then turned my attention back to packing, letting Mina do her business in peace.  
After I was finished, I buckled my sword around my waist and headed out into the hall, saying a brief good bye to Mina. The halls were surprisingly lively at this hour. Phoukas roamed around in the shadows, searching for mischief. Redcaps played brutal card games by the walls, growling and baring their hideous teeth at one another.  
I hurried toward the front door, keeping to the shadows and not drawing any attention to myself. No one bid me farewell as I left.   
Outside, the skies were still dark, but dawn was on its way, ready to touch the tops of the snow capped mountains in the distance. It had begun to lightly snow, small flakes landing in my hair and on my clothes. I ignored them though; I was used to getting covered in the fluffy white substance.  
Over by the forest, ten horses waited rather impatiently, snorting and pawing the ground. Two of the horses, Skull and Calx, were already saddled and bridled. The other horses bore thick black armor with small, deadly thorns jutting out of it. Their eyes glowed a dark crimson, quite dull compared to Skull’s eyes, which were a bright blue.  
I stepped over to Calx, apparently waking him from his brief nap. He flinched, his black eyes snapping open immediately and fixing on me. I strapped my supplies to his saddle and tightened his cinch. He groaned and turned his head to lip at the sleeve of my coat. I let him for a moment, but then firmly smacked his muzzle when I felt his hard teeth make contact with my elbow. Obediently he left me alone, focusing his gaze on another figure coming toward us.  
“Well, little brother I didn’t expect you to be up this early,” Rowan mused, stepping up next to Skull. Qui, Rowan’s little sidekick, trailed a respective three steps behind him. Her shoulder-length black hair seemed to grow darker in the faint early morning.  
I glared at my brother as he calmly took his time strapping his things to Skull’s saddle. He glanced over and noticed the dirty look I was giving him. “What? Was it something I said?”  
I rolled my eyes. “Never mind.” Turning away, I swung up onto Calx’s back. Calx was only sixteen hands high, compared to Skull who stood at least seventeen hands, which was the exact equivalent to a mortal Thoroughbred. Rowan frowned at me and swung up on Skull, making the task look effortless, even though Skull’s back was taller than Rowan himself.   
“I’ve been to Welkin before so I know a good route that will get us there before dusk,” he said smugly, acting so much like the pompous ass that he was.  
“Fine, then. Lead the way, your highness,” I retorted.  
Rowan gave me a strange look. It was neither arrogant nor angry. It was a look of exhaustion. “Look, Ash,” he said, grabbing Calx’s reins and pulling my horse and I to an abrupt halt. “I know we hate each other but can we please just act like civil brothers this one trip?”  
I just looked at him. Qui stared blankly at the two of us, waiting patiently for us to stop arguing. She didn’t talk much. In fact, come to think of it, I’d never heard Qui speak one word.  
Rowan sighed. “Besides, we might be able to find a couple new victims while we’re there,” he added, his usual trademark smirk returning to his face.   
I thought for a moment. I wasn’t stupid when it came to Rowan’s little games. I knew what he meant when he said ‘victim’. My thoughts went back to Brynna, the small, young mortal I’d broken not thirty years ago. Adrenaline suddenly rushed through me at the thought of playing that game again. I’d only played with four other mortals since Brynna, and each of them had been the same: weak, innocent, and just a hint stupid when it came to love. I needed a challenge.   
Rowan was waiting for a reply. I looked up and our eyes met. “One for you and one for me, then?”  
“Mm-hmm. And whoever breaks her first, wins.”  
I gritted my teeth to keep from grinning like a fool. I had to admit it did sound rather fun. “What’s the prize?”  
Rowan grinned. His teeth were always too white. “The winner gets to keep all their fingers and their hair.” He winked at me. He’d never made that prize before.  
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Their hair?” I repeated.  
“Yes. The winner gets to cut off the loser’s hair.”  
At that moment all I wanted to do was make my ass of a brother bald. I fought the urge to burst out laughing at the thought. Mab would be pissed of course, but who cares? I could always get away with things like that, since I was her favorite son, after all.  
“Don’t laugh. We both know I’m going to be the winner because I’ve obviously been playing this game longer,” Rowan snarled. “What do you say, little brother? Do we have a deal?”  
I glanced down at his outreached hand, then back up at him. I reached out and shook his hand. “Deal,” I replied, letting just a hint of malice slip into my voice.  
Rowan pulled his hand away and urged Skull toward the forest. “All right then, with that being done, I suggest we get going. I’d like to get there before sunset.”  
I urged Calx to follow them, and the Thornguards followed close behind. Mab would send a messenger to Welkin and we would have to send back a small note saying we arrived there safely and in one piece. We were off to Welkin, where coal was mined, and certain creatures shot by iron bullets which were slathered with witch magic. Magic that could kill a faerie – a faerie even as strong as Queen Mab.  
  
We traveled for hours, the bleak and cloudy morning soon morphing into a bright, vivid afternoon as we made our way through the Wyldwood. Rowan was always in the front of our little caravan, with me following close behind, Qui behind me, and finally the Thornguards bringing up the rear.   
“I hate the sunshine,” one of the Thornguards muttered. A few others agreed with him. Thornguards were always so one-minded.  
We stopped to rest several times, to give the horses a rest and eat our midday meal. I managed to catch a squirrel with a bow and arrow I’d made from scratch. Qui disappeared for a time and came back with two fat rabbits in hand: one for her and one for Rowan.   
As we continued our journey I caught a glimpse of a huge black raven perched on a branch, staring at me with big green eyes. I shook my head and turned my gaze away from the bird. The Summer prankster was the last thing on my mind at the moment.  
At last, around late afternoon our group arrived in a clearing where a huge fat tree sat in the tall grass, silent and still. Its bark was the color of homemade Unseelie chocolate, almost black. Its branches towered toward the cloud filled sky, decorated in vibrant green leaves.   
Rowan urged Skull forward, and the stallion calmly walked forward toward the side of the tree. I squinted, catching a faint glimpse of a glimmer in the air. And suddenly, Rowan and Skull disappeared into thin air, walking straight through the glimmer, causing it to ripple like a thick wave of water. The Thornguards trotted their horses forward and quickly, one by one vanished into the glimmer, leaving only Qui and I left. Silence enveloped the clearing and I looked over at Qui. Her blank silver eyes flicked over and a faint smile pulled at the edge of her pale lips.   
She kicked her pony, Q, toward the glimmer and vanished along with the others. Swallowing, I urged Calx forward. I had never gone through a trod like this. My heart skipped as Calx’s head vanished, rippling the glimmer, and finally, I too was swallowed whole. As I went through the glimmer, smooth, almost soft, air skimmed and brushed my skin. I didn’t smell anything – except the sudden wild smell of evergreen trees and dank, mortal soil.  
I heard a smirk and opened my eyes. I hadn’t realized I’d closed them. I must’ve looked like a complete child to Rowan and the Thornguards. I ignored their arrogant looks and wicked sneers as I gave Calx a small kick to the side. “We are almost to our destination, yes?” I said to Rowan.  
He gave me a long look before he nodded. “Yes, we are. We’re only a mile or two outside of Welkin.” He gave me a fake smile before turning Skull away down a narrow dirt trail. We continued on, following Rowan until we suddenly came to an abrupt halt. I craned my neck to see past Qui. Rowan glanced back and met each of our eyes before he turned back around and kicked Skull into a fast canter.  
Of course, it was always up to Rowan to make a grand entrance into a mortal village. I urged Calx up beside Skull, and the two stallions’ eyes met. Calx snorted and I held him back from surging forward in front of Skull. We slowed down when we came to an abrupt turn, and then entered a huge clearing. And I saw it.  
Welkin loomed before us. A town made up of wooden buildings, dirt, and wooden walkways. This was obviously the town center, considering the fact that there were virtually no houses sitting around. A flag located in front of the town showed a rearing horse with wings, two swords crossing behind it. The flag was black, and the Pegasus and swords a deep red. As we neared it, Rowan slowed Skull, but only slightly. The stallion let a piercing whinny escape his throat, and if you hadn’t been around bully stallions like him, you would have coward in fear.  
The people who were milling around the town center stopped, the ones that were nearby anyway, and turned their mud-dirtied, sullen faces to see what all the commotion was about. Some who were gathered in the very front stepped back, some retreating back into the crowd.   
Rowan brought Skull to a stop by the flagpole, scanning the crowd with his piercing blue eyes. The women who were present stood stone still, although their faces showed absolute adoration for us. Typical, I thought. None of these mortals will be fun enough. My heart fell at the thought. But then, when I thought back to our bet, I decided at that moment that I liked my hair just the way it was.  
A tall man of about thirty years with shoulder-length brown hair rode up on a palomino stallion. “Welcome, your majesties. I hope your journey was uneventful,” he said in a tone devoid of emotion. The mayor, or perhaps the leader of the town.  
“Our journey was fine, I appreciate your kind manners,” Rowan said arrogantly. “You remember me, from the last time I came here.” He grinned and the man’s jaw clenched.  
“Yes, I remember you, Prince Rowan,” the man replied, keeping that same emotionless tone in check. He’d learned his lessons. He knew how to act around the Unseelie royal family. With respect and no emotion.  
“This is my little brother, Ash,” Rowan continued. “He is new to this event and so I expect you to address your townspeople of it. My Queen wants us both back in one piece.”  
Skull pawed at the ground and nipped at the palomino, who was getting a bit too nosy. The mayor nodded. “I will inform Daniel about your arrival immediately.” He pulled back his horse and bowed his head once. “Please follow me.”  
We followed the mayor through the crowd of people, murmurs and quiet talk enveloping us. Girls whispered to each other, and men nodded respectively to us. We stopped suddenly and I looked ahead to see a man with shoulder-length silver hair approaching us.   
"Daniel, bitte führe Prinz Rowan und seine Firma auf Ihrer Kabine. Sie werden mit Ihnen für die nächsten fünf Monate bleiben."He nodded. “Good day, sir.” The mayor nodded once more to us and calmly steered his horse away.  
Daniel turned his attention toward us, gave a quick bow, a ‘welcome’, and motioned for us to follow him. On the way, he hopped effortlessly onto the back of a dark bay Thoroughbred mare and urged her into a jog. We were back in the forest again, following Daniel along a dirt trail that wound deeper and deeper into the forest until we entered yet another clearing, this one smaller with houses sitting calmly scattered about it. And suddenly we were racing across the grassy clearing at full speed, racing the magpies and sparrows that shot up out of the grass at our arrival. I let Calx gallop up beside Rowan, knowing very well how easily he could beat him in a race, but I knew better than to let my competitive side get the better of me. It would be very crude of me to pass my older brother while we were in the company of our host.  
Our fun was short lived. We soon slowed to a canter, and then a trot as we came up to a medium sized log cabin with smoke billowing out the chimney. Two horses grazed in the small paddock to my left, one a strawberry roan filly of about three years, still young. The other, a badger faced mare whose eyes were so deep, even I had trouble looking away from them. Both horses stopped grazing and glanced up to greet us. The strawberry roan looked intently at Skull, who came to an abrupt halt and glanced back with his ears pricked. He whinnied at her, calling for her to come over.   
I watched as the badger faced mare took one look at Skull, flattened her ears, and herded her companion away with a furious whinny. Skull tossed his long head, and Rowan chastised him, slapping the reign against the stallion’s neck.   
“You can tie your horses to the fence. They’ll be fine until nightfall,” Daniel said, dismounting his own horse and looping her reigns over the fence where the two fillies were. We all followed suit and afterward, Daniel led us all inside. Rowan instructed the Thornguards to stay outside and guard the house, insisting that he would be fine with just Qui and I.  
Inside the cabin, a black and white cat turned and hissed at us. It probably wasn’t used to seeing creatures of the supernatural. "Los, Räder, Husch!"Daniel snapped at the animal, and it fled up into a different room.   
We followed him down the dim hallway to the kitchen, where the cat, whose name was Wheels (I’d recognized the language Daniel and the mayor had spoken as German), was residing on the bleak colored counter. He regarded us with weary yellow eyes and returned to licking his paws.  
I suddenly heard footsteps coming from a different hallway and a moment later, a girl of about sixteen stepped into the room. “Father, you’re –” she stopped midsentence, noticing us for the first time. Her bright hazel eyes locked on Rowan, and I could just see by her stance that she was already enchanted by him. She leaned against the wall, standing in the threshold of the second hallway. She wore a deep red dress that hugged her thin torso and made her pale breasts strain against the red fringed collar. Her ginger hair was wavy and cascaded down slightly past her shoulders. I had to admit, she was quite beautiful. But her eyes were not on me.  
Daniel cleared his throat. “Tabitha, please welcome our guests, Prince Rowan and Prince Ash from the Winter court of Tir Na Nog.”  
Tabitha gave a small curtsy. “Welcome, your majesties.” She smiled at Rowan and he winked back.   
I saw her cheeks turn rosy and she glided over to the counter to scoop Wheels up in her arms and cuddle him. He yowled and scrambled to escape. Tabitha murmured something quietly to him and he growled as she stroked his head.   
A new voice entered the kitchen, followed by her. “I’m going to fry that cat one of these days.”  
I looked toward the new figure in the room, a girl of about seventeen, with wavy chocolate brown hair, tan skin, and beautiful brown eyes. Her lips were a light shade of pink and she wore tight black pants with a loose linen white shirt and a black corset. The hilt of a dagger peeked out of her right boot.   
She stood in the doorway to a separate room, across from the second hallway. She stood like a man.   
Her cougar eyes found mine, but she didn’t melt like every other girl had. She held my gaze, analyzing me with keen interest. She narrowed her eyes slightly at me, and then finally looked away. “Father, the rest of the Redcoats were given a day off today, with the arrival of…them.” She gestured with her head over at Rowan and I.  
I was surprised. No one, not mortal anyway, who knew the royals of the Winter court ever addressed us as ‘them’. I felt my gaze become icy. Did this girl really not know how to address royalty, especially fey royalty?  
"Adne, Hüten Sie Ihre Zunge! Zeigen Sie etwas Respekt!"Daniel chastised her.  
"Wenn Hölle zufriert" she replied with a smirk. She turned toward the wooden cabinet above the counter and retrieved a bottle of ale. Daniel glared and snatched the bottle away from her.   
“Show the princes up to their rooms!” he snapped at her. She didn’t flinch. She held her head high and motioned for us to follow her. She led us down the second hallway and up a flight of wooden stairs. Yet a third hallway greeted us, four doors located along the walls.   
“Yours will be here,” she said to Rowan, motioning at the far door on the right wall. “And yours,” she said to me, “will be here.” She came and tapped a door next to where I stood, meeting my gaze again.  
We glared at each other for what seemed like forever. But she never dropped her gaze.  
“I hope you enjoy your stay here in Welkin,” she said simply.  
I nodded. “I appreciate your kindness, lady,” I replied.  
She smiled. It wasn’t a warm smile. “Call me Adne.”


	4. Chapter 4

After getting settled into our rooms, I decided to go hunting. I was hungry after our long journey and I wasn’t about to go start begging for food from our hosts. I was perfectly capable of getting it myself. Besides, supper wasn’t until the evening.  
I gathered up my bow which I’d snuck on the trip with me and headed out to the paddock where Calx grazed calmly on the tall grass. I noticed the badger faced mare was missing from the paddock. Perhaps someone had taken her out for a run, or maybe she’d gotten out somehow. It didn’t matter, not to me anyway. I swung up into the saddle and urged Calx toward the forest. I let him gallop, feeling a rush of adrenaline as the wind tore at my clothes and hair. Calx was faster than any faerie horse at court, even Skull, who was taller by at least two inches.  
We broke into the trees, the strong scent of evergreen filling my nose. It was late November, so the temperature had dropped slightly as if preparing itself for the winter. I slowed Calx to a walk and soon spotted a squirrel sitting in a tree several yards away. I dismounted and gathered up my bow, placing an arrow in the string. I crept forward, my feet silent on the forest floor. I crouched, finding the perfect angle to shoot the squirrel at. I pulled back the bowstring, and prepared to let the arrow fly…  
Something flew through the air at blinding speed and buried itself in the squirrel, knocking it from the tree. I hesitated, startled, and looked around. Someone had shot my squirrel. How dare they! Anger rose up inside me, making me want to stab something. I straightened and placed the arrow back in its quiver. I stalked through the shrubs and branches of the forest until I heard voices – laughing voices.   
I crouched down behind a bush and peered around it. My anger faded as soon as it had come. Adne stood with another girl, one with very blonde hair, holding the squirrel. They both wore men’s clothes: brown trousers, white linen shirts, leather jackets, and brown hunting boots. The trousers were made to fit them correctly, accentuating their legs and rear. I found myself staring.   
I shook my head and stood, coming out from behind the bush. What an ass, I thought. You’re here to discipline them and hunt Adne’s heart, not stare at her and her friend’s ass!  
The other girl jumped slightly when she saw me. Their conversation stopped immediately. Adne stood there foolishly as her friend gave a hasty bow. “Prince Ash,” she said nervously. Her hands were shaking and she’d paled slightly.   
I nodded at her in greeting and turned my attention to Adne. “I believe you have something of mine.” I gave her my best icy glare, expecting her to cower in fear and back away like all the other mortals had. But instead, she just met my eyes and smiled arrogantly.   
“And what would that be, exactly, Prince Ash?” She crossed her arms. It looked as if she were trying to hide the squirrel under her arm. What a fool.  
“Don’t play stupid. The squirrel, that squirrel is mine!” I snapped at her.  
She narrowed her eyes in irritation as her friend flinched and stepped back – the proper reaction to my harshness. “Well, I don’t see your name on it! So what exactly makes it yours?”  
“I saw it first, which automatically makes it mine.”  
“You’re not going to play that childish game now, are you?”  
She was really starting to piss me off. Who did she think she was? How dare she challenge me like this!   
“Give him the squirrel, Adne!” her friend yelled at her. Her expression was a mixture of fear and irritation.  
I glared at Adne, and soon enough she dropped her eyes from mine and handed me the squirrel. I snatched it out of her hand. “I wouldn’t make that mistake again if I were you,” I said calmly to her. “You don’t anger or disobey one of the princes of the Unseelie court.”  
“I should get back,” her friend told her. She gave me a nod, her expression no longer filled with fear but with…anger. “Prince Ash.” She turned and jogged off into the trees.  
“Why aren’t you back at the house?” I asked Adne, now that we were alone. I had to be nicer to her if I was going to succeed in breaking her. But she just really pissed me off! She wasn’t afraid of me, that much was true.  
“I decided to go out hunting. It’s a hobby,” she replied, keeping her eyes to the ground as we walked back to where Calx was waiting. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I heard a slight tremor in her voice.  
“Well, you certainly are good at it.”  
She nodded. “Amber thinks so.”  
“Was that the girl with you?”  
“Yes.”  
“She seemed afraid of me,” I said.  
“She wasn’t. I’m sure of it. It’s just a cover up she does to seem respectful. Once you get to know her she’s the most energetic person you’ll ever meet. But she can sleep through anything.”  
I dropped the rabbit into my saddlebag and looped the reins over Calx’s neck. “I don’t suppose you have a ride. Because I’m not going to let you ride with me after the way you’ve acted.”  
Adne rolled her eyes and gave a sharp whistle. The badger faced mare came loping through the trees a moment later. “I have Badger to carry me.”  
Badger. What a coincidence. “Very well, then. Just try to keep up.” I let a bit of playfulness creep into my voice, so as to put her at ease.   
She grinned as I kicked Calx into a trot. “No problem.”   
“Is that a challenge?” I asked as she trotted up beside me.   
“Maybe.” She smiled again. We reached the break in the trees that opened up into the big valley that sloped below. “Last one across the field has to give Wheels a bath!” she shouted playfully, digging her heels into Badger’s sides.   
I didn’t even have to ask Calx, he just reflexively surged forward, catching up to Badger easily. I was going to beat her easily. I did not want to end up bathing her devil of a cat. But I was wrong – again.  
Just when Calx and I were just meters away from passing the cabin, so as not to run into it, Badger pushed up beside me, so close that Adne’s boots pressed against mine. I saw Badger’s eyes flick to Calx’s, her ears flattened. Badger pushed forward ahead of me and crossed our imaginary finish line by at least three lengths.  
Adne slowed Badger to a walk and I pulled Calx to a stop. “I am not washing your cat,” was the first thing I said.   
She laughed and dismounted. “We’ll both wash him. One can hold him down while the other washes.”  
I shook my head at her, but felt a smile tugging at the edges of my mouth.   
We tied our horses to the paddock fence and headed inside. Rowan stood at the counter, suspiciously close to Tabitha, talking to her quietly. She seemed to be cutting or baking something. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I knew the look on Rowan’s face. It meant he was getting what he wanted. Tabitha smiled and took his hand as he held it out to her, examining the rings decorating his fingers. A birthday present from Mab.  
Adne shook her head in annoyance and strode into the room off to the left, which held beer and wine bottles; I’d found out earlier when I’d been snooping around, getting used to my surroundings.   
I headed up to my room to take a nap, and there I found Wheels, lying comfortably on my pillow. I kicked off my boots and draped my coat over the chair in the corner. I didn’t have the heart to move the cat, so I just flopped down and let him let out a yowl of protest. Even the cat seemed to discover who I really was because a moment later, Wheels carefully climbed onto my stomach, meowing an apology.   
I gently scratched his head and he purred, curling his paws underneath him. After a few moments, my hand dropped to the mattress, and I was asleep.

When I awoke some time later, the dark shadows around the room indicated evening had arrived. I got up and stretched, pulled on my boots, and hurried downstairs to the kitchen. Daniel was at the stove heating up a fresh rabbit, Adne was at the counter polishing a rusty old dagger, and Tabitha at the table in Rowan’s lap. His arms locked her in a cold prison, but she didn’t seem to care at all. In fact, she looked like she was rather enjoying herself.   
“Good evening, Sleeping Beauty,” Rowan sniped as I entered the room. I glared at him and took a seat at the table.   
“I am not in the mood for your insults,” I growled back at him.  
His snarky grin soon morphed into a frown. “Well, you’re in a shitty mood tonight. What you do, get bit by a bedbug or something?”  
“No. I’m just tired of waking up and being called Sleeping Beauty.”  
“I do not call you that all the time,” Rowan argued.  
“Yes, you do. Don’t deny it.”  
He was smart enough to shut his mouth after that, instead concentrating on gluing it to Tabitha’s neck.  
Adne was not amused. “If you two are planning on swallowing each other, would you please go outside and do it!” she snapped at them. Although it sounded like she was yelling at Tabitha more than anything.  
“Why don’t you just mind your own business, Adne,” Tabitha snarled, turning on her sister with a glare that reminded me of an angry she-cat.  
Adne glowered at Tabitha, and I could feel the tension roiling off of the two. Clearly they were not very fond of each other.  
Daniel finally stepped in. “If you two are going to have another fight take it outside! Otherwise, the both of you can shut up and mind your manners!” he yelled.  
Both sisters shut their mouths, but Adne rolled her eyes, turning back to polishing the silver dagger on the counter. Rowan grinned at me over Tabitha’s ginger hair.   
Maybe this was going to be rather fun after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Two weeks passed that were spent napping, exercising, and painfully having to watch my brother and my victim’s sister making out around every corner.   
Adne and I hunted in the afternoons, while in the morning I practiced sword drills while she was busy in town keeping trouble away. She’d promised to take me to the booths filled with merchandise today. Perhaps she was also planning to give me a tour of the town center.   
After I was finished, I grabbed an apple from the kitchen and headed out to the paddock to saddle up Calx. Right when I was finished saddling and bridling him, Adne rode up on Badger. I let my surprise register on my face. Adne looked very different from the girl I’d first seen not a one week ago.  
She wore a dusty red tunic with a white emblem of Welkin's mascot: the Pegasus, centered at her chest and back. Her boots bore various buckles, and she wore black pants to complete the ensemble. Her hair was pulled back into a tight fishtail braid, and her eyes seemed to grow darker, and meaner. She looked completely badass.  
“Are you ready or what?” she asked me, again not being afraid to challenge me.  
In response I swung up onto Calx and urged him forward. We galloped across the grassy valley toward the forest, taking the dirt trail that lead to the town center. Adne didn’t speak to me as we rode, and I didn’t speak to her. I hadn’t found any weaknesses yet, which was unusual.   
When we finally arrived at the town center, there were a lot more people than I remembered when I first arrived. Adne quickly explained to me that the local merchants and traders were in town, as they were every year at this particular time. They sold just about everything, and according to most what they sold was very valuable, useful, and pleasurable.   
People hardly noticed me as we parked our horses in the huge barn up by the racetrack and made our way down into the town center. A few young girls huddled on the side of the boardwalks whispered and giggled when they saw me, but I ignored them. I was only after one girl. And that one girl was much harder to tame than I’d first thought. She walked like a man, like a soldier off to battle, like a true warrior. I found myself wanting to just pin her against the ground and slap her across the face until she sobbed.   
I shook my head to clear the dark thought. I had to be calm about this whole thing, otherwise it could all go up in smoke. I casually followed her down the boardwalks, passing by shouting merchants and persuasive traders, all of them eager for citizens to purchase their goods.  
We stopped at a weapon tent, and the old man running it scowled at Adne. “Do you have it, girl?” he growled.  
Adne calmly handed the silver dagger out to him, and he snatched it from her, placing a small brown baggie in her outstretched palm. He then turned away and hung the dagger on one of the many yellow strings holding the knives, daggers, scalpels, and other sharp weapons up on display. He didn’t thank her.  
She didn’t complain though. “Come on, I want you to see something.” She motioned for me to follow her, leading me farther down the boardwalk until we rounded a corner that led to a small courtyard, shrubs and potted trees decorating the center. We entered the wooden building across the courtyard and instantly my ears began ringing at the sound of utter silence.   
Adne turned to me. “These are the Archives, or better known as the library. But everyone just calls them the Archives because of what they hold. She led me inside, and immediately the smell of old books and leather greeted me. The Archives were big, not huge, but nonetheless big. It held thousands of old books and documents, some concealed away behind glass cabinets, displayed for people to see but not touch. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a piece of parchment, protected behind glass, but somehow I knew it was the contract, the written document that bound Welkin to Tir Na Nog.   
I must’ve stared at it a bit too long because suddenly I felt a warm, soft hand slip into mine. I turned my head to see Adne standing there, looking at me with her eyes narrowed. “You look ill,” she commented.  
“I…um…I feel fine,” I replied. I wanted to kick myself for how stupid I sounded. Scrambling for words in front of a mortal; it should have been the other way around. But this mortal, this girl just somehow made me feel…different.  
A couple hours later, I sat in the dining area of the town center, where the majority of the town was gathered, gambling, talking, fighting, arguing, and just simply amusing themselves. A few Redcoats were stationed around the corners of the room, watching out over the audience with stony eyes. A few Redcoats who were off duty sat with the crowd, the young men taking big swigs from whiskey bottles, while others were preoccupied with cornering the town wenches against the wall and having their share of fun.  
I sat at a table with Rowan, who’d already drunken himself half into exhaustion. But the mortal alcohol was barely strong enough to even make us feel goofy. We were much stronger than that. Qui sat beside him, quiet as usual. She fiddled with her thumbs, looking undeniably bored and like she was about to nod off at any moment, despite the volume of the room.  
Tabitha, wearing a brown dress that was two sizes too small for her, came striding in a few moments later, making a beeline for Rowan. Typical, I thought. He had her under his spell, and I was losing the game, and if I lost, I would lose my hair as well. I liked my hair. So I decided to keep it.   
I spotted Adne over by the open door to the dining area. She stood talking with Amber, who looked way more badass than I’d last seen her. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and her cheeks seemed a bit rosy. She was rather cute for a human. But Adne topped her off by a lot more points. Adne saw me looking at her, and I tried to mask my face into the one that had caught Brynna in the trap.   
Adne’s eyes didn’t change. They remained the same stony, cold-hearted things that had first greeted me when we’d met. I waited until she looked away before hitting the hard stone wall with my fist, causing frost to spider web along the rocks where my fist had struck. “Dammit,” I cursed briefly. I could not lose this game. Why was it so hard? Because my victim had a stone inside her chest instead of a beating red muscle?  
Tabitha shivered violently and Rowan pulled her tighter into his arms, turning to glare at me. “Calm down, Ash. What’s got your panties in a twist?” A snarky grin pulled at his lips; he amused himself at his own stupid joke.  
I kept staring forward, masking my face into an expression much like Qui’s – one of complete and utter boredom. “Nothing, brother,” I replied quietly.  
Rowan rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the still shivering Tabitha.  
Adne suddenly broke away from the doorway and started toward the table next to ours, followed by Amber. The people at the table seemed to be playing some sort of card game, one that involved utter silence among the players. They’re eyes flicked to one another in communication, and whenever one player would place down a card, one that didn’t seem to match the other cards that were already down, one person would say “incorrect card” or “failed to say bullshit”. I couldn’t pick up the rules of the game, no matter how long I watched them.  
"Also, amüsierst du du dich, Cory?"Adne said to a rather handsome boy with light blonde hair, blue eyes, and a small ear ring in his left earlobe.   
“Quite, my sweet Adne, quite,” he replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her into his lap.   
I straightened, icy rage suddenly rushing through me. I watched as Adne laughed and pushed at his chest. “Lay off, Cory!” The man she called Cory just laughed and pecked her on the cheek.   
"Bist du nur ein kleines Bündel Freude wahr, Adne?"he drawled happily.  
“What’s the matter, Ash?” Rowan purred from across the table. “Jealous?” I glanced over at him. He was giving me a wicked grin, the kind he always gave his victims before he cut their heads off.   
I couldn’t lie. He’d seen my reaction. So I did the only thing that I could do at that point. I got up and left, turning my back on my older brother. I was upset, hence the sudden drop in room temperature. What was the matter with me?   
I waited over by the wall for a few minutes, but then I stood up straighter when I saw Adne get up off of Cory’s lap and step angrily over to where Tabitha and Rowan sat. The few Thornguards who were mingling around the room tensed and started to step toward them. I stepped closer, eager to hear what Adne had to say.  
“Father told you to stay home tonight! Why don’t ever listen?” she snapped at her sister.  
“I do listen! I just choose not to obey,” Tabitha replied.  
“If Mother were here right now she would skin you alive, which I’d very much like to see!”   
“Don’t bring our mother into this conversation! She has nothing to do with it!” Tabitha straightened on Rowan’s lap, and he sat back, a bit shocked and amused at the situation.  
“Well, I do know that she’d disown you permanently for taking the job of a whore!”  
“Shut up! Why don’t you just go sob over our mother’s grave like you do every single day?” Tabitha was basically screaming at the top of her lungs at her sister, who looked angrier than a bull.  
I’d seen women bicker before, but something about Adne’s stance made this particular argument interesting. She looked like she wanted to lock her hands around her sister’s neck and choke her to death. She didn’t do exactly that, but it was still brutal.  
In one blurring motion, Adne slapped Tabitha across the face so hard, Tabby’s head jerked to the side. Then Adne proceeded to grab her sister by the arm, wrench her out of Rowan’s lap and pin her against the stone wall. Tabitha screamed in pain as Adne fisted her hand in Tabitha’s red hair. “Take it back!” she snarled.  
“No!” Tabitha screamed back.  
Adne shoved her knee up against Tabitha’s spine, pressing her into the wall and making Tabitha howl in agony. “I said take it back!”  
“Fine, I take it back. I take it back!” Tabitha wailed, tears streaming down her face as she cried.   
I stood there and watched in fascination. I was surprised Adne hadn’t snapped her sister’s spine yet. Adne’s hands shook as she released Tabitha, who fell into Rowan’s arms, burying her tear stained face into his neck. Adne saw me looking and finally, her eyes softened and she slumped, looking suddenly very tired.  
I jerked my head toward the exit, and Adne automatically headed in that direction. I followed her quietly from the room, a silent shadow trailing its prey.  
Outside, fresh German air greeted me. I inhaled deeply, taking in a bit of Adne’s sweet scent as well. She walked a few feet ahead of me, stopping in a small courtyard to sit on one of the wooden benches. I came up beside her and took a seat, not too close, but not too far either.  
“What do you want?” she asked me lazily, staring off into the distance.  
“That was quite the show you put on back there,” I mused, turning to face her. She was avoiding my eyes.  
“It wasn’t the first.”  
“She really offended you about your mother.”  
Adne nodded. “That’s usually a subject we avoid.”  
I waited a few moments before speaking. “I know I probably shouldn’t ask this, but…what exactly happened to your mother?”  
Adne was silent, a haunted look suddenly masking her face. She looked away. “She was killed by dark witches.” Another pause. “Eleven years ago, it was the night of All Hallows Eve. The town was in revelry as usual, and my mother had brought me to the party. She was a Redcoat at the time, the third Lieutenant. After a few hours of playing around by myself, I heard a commotion up by the flagpole. It turns out the dark witches had planned to come and try to claim Welkin for themselves, but the Redcoats fought them off, killing many. But one of the witches killed my mother while she was protecting me.   
“All I could do was scream, I couldn’t bring myself to kneel beside her; when one is stabbed with a witch crafted weapon, horrible things occur,” Adne said, still haunted by the scene.  
“What happened?” I asked, shocked to find myself actually interested in the story.  
“The victim will experience extreme pain and eventually they will become an Infected.”  
I was quiet, swallowing hard.  
“Your skin turns black and your eyes melt out of your sockets,” Adne explained, her haunted face disappearing and turning into one of anger and irritation.  
“That sounds lovely,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.  
She smirked, smacking my arm casually. She was so different from all the other girls. She had a heart as tough as a bull’s, but a soul as kind as a dove’s. Adne noticed me staring at her and glanced over at me, finally meeting my eyes. “Is something wrong?” she asked, her expression turning playful.  
“Nothing. You’re just…more beautiful at…this angle.” I tried to make myself sound lovestruck and dumb. It’d worked many times before.  
Adne’s expression turned icy. “Don’t call me that. Please.” She got to her feet and started to walk away, then she stopped and looked back at me. “You coming?”  
I stood and walked beside her as we headed back towards home. It was dark now, and even though I could see fine, Adne still kept her eyes to the ground so she could watch where she stepped. “You don’t like being complimented,” I observed. “Why? You’d think every girl would jump at the chance to be called beautiful.”  
“Yes well, I’m not every girl,” she replied stonily.  
I let out a small laugh and stopped walking. “Adne I’m not trying to agitate you. I…I want your friendship.” If I was going to get anywhere in seducing her I might as well pull the friend card. “Please,” I added at the end, trying to sound like the lovesick fool she was supposed to see me as.  
“Why would I willingly give my friendship over to the third son of Mab? How are you any different from your brothers who would willingly kill infants for their queen’s pleasure?” She chose her words carefully, and I admired her for that.  
I waited a few moments. “I would never kill a child. Rowan might, but I could never bring myself to murder a babe.”  
Adne’s face went blank and she nodded. “All right, but you’d still kill a mortal.”  
I let out a frustrated sigh and stepped forward, wanting so badly to punch her. “Look, Adne, I want to be your friend.”  
She stopped, turning to look more closely at me. “Really?”  
I nodded. “Yes, I really do.”  
“I’m not very good at making friends.”  
“Look I know you may not trust me, but, I…I trust you. And I want there to be some sort of alliance between us.”  
She gazed at me, raising one eyebrow. She looked amused.  
I decided to just spit it out. “I admire you.”  
“How?” she asked.  
“You’re smart, clever, brave, and…you truly are beautiful.” I finally saw it. Her expression softened, her eyes becoming just a hint moist. For a moment, I saw the absolute love in her eyes for me, and my heart beat faster. I was finally getting somewhere with her.  
“Well…I really appreciate it that you care.” She nodded and looked away, wiping at her eyes in frustration and clenching her jaw to keep from crying. Her expression had become icy again; a shield, a cover up to hide away from the world…from me.  
I carefully stepped toward her. “Do you...want me to ride back with you?”  
She sighed and nodded, sounding very tired. “Sure. Yeah, I’d like that. It’s nice to have company once in a while.”  
We walked back toward the barn up on the little hill, near the racetrack. I saw her looking at the ground out of the corner of my eye and took my chances, gently slipping my hand into hers. She flinched slightly, whether it was from the coldness of my skin or from the gesture overall, I didn’t know. I was just glad she didn’t pull away.


	6. Chapter 6

When we returned back to the cabin in the valley, I had to be careful not to drag my feet inside the house. Adne explained to me that it grew especially dark inside the house during winter. Despite my advanced eyesight, it was indeed quite dark and my eyes struggled to adjust. She lit a few candles and, since there was essentially no living room, she let me up to her room.   
“I usually never let anyone in here,” she said as she unlocked the door and slipped inside. I followed her, glancing around. Her room was much like mine, only hers was filled with little trinkets and other things from her past.   
“It’s nice,” I commented, sitting down on her bed. It was softer than mine, I realized.   
“I didn’t say to make yourself at home now, did I?” she said, crossing her arms.  
I glared at her, saying to her with my eyes that I was a prince and could do whatever I wanted. She laughed.   
“I am just kidding.” She came over and sat beside me. “Sorry.”  
“It’s all right,” I replied, taking her hand again. She stared at our entwined fingers, running her thumb along mine, making my skin tingle. The thought finally occurred to me. I just might be able to win this game. But then, her eyes hardened and she pulled her hand away, closing herself off again. She stood and went to the window, the small bit of moonlight shining on her face and making her look like a mysterious warrior.   
“What do you want from me, Ash?” she whispered, not looking away from the window. Her voice trembled only slightly and there was a slight glistening to her eyes.   
I stood and slowly joined her, leaning against the wall. She still did not look at me. “Adne…look at me…please?” I said gently. A few moments passed before she finally turned her head and met my gaze. She was silent. How could I respond? I couldn’t lie….  
“I told you before, I want your friendship. You’re a unique human and I admire you,” I told her. I could tell she was getting irritated at being complimented again.   
“I cannot trust you, your highness,” was her stony reply. “My whole life I’ve been taught to fear and respect your kind. But, I do not fear you. I cannot, because after the night my mother was killed…nothing that has flesh can scare me. Besides, how do I know that as soon as I give you my friendship you won’t strike me down?”  
Finally, a weakness. Adne was afraid of losing those she loved. You had to be keen to see it. Adne might have acted tough on the outside, but inside she feared emotions, she feared getting close to someone, and she feared the one thing I was trying to make her do – fall in love.   
This might be more difficult than I’d first anticipated.   
“You’re right, you can’t trust us. But, I’m not like my brother, Adne. He would absolutely deceive you. I don’t want to be like him.” Half truth. Rowan was an ass, and I wanted to be better than that.   
Adne’s eyes softened a bit, and I gently slipped my hand in hers. I took a step closer to her. She didn’t tense up but I sensed her heartbeat quicken. “Adne…” I whispered, almost inaudibly. She turned her head slightly and met my eyes. I realized how close we were and my own heartbeat suddenly picked up speed to join hers. She searched my gaze for any sign of emotion, and I let adoration and devotion slip through.   
“What are you thinking?” she whispered, almost breathless.   
Progress. I hesitated slightly, thinking up the best response. “I’m thinking I want to kiss you,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t withdraw.   
She didn’t. “Then what are you waiting for?” she whispered. “I’m not getting any younger,” she joked.   
She did not flinch as I slowly leaned forward and pressed my cold lips to hers. Her breath hitched and she froze. For a split second I debated pulling away, fearing she disgusted me. Wait. Why was I afraid of her disapproval?   
But she didn’t pull away. After a few moments she relaxed and leaned into me, bringing her arms up to wrap around my neck. Her hands were trembling and I could feel her heart pounding erratically against mine. Slowly, I brought my hands to her hips and deepened the kiss, only slightly. Her lips were warm against mine and she let out a small gasp as I gently parted her lips, running my tongue along her lower lip.   
A hideous meow and scratching on the door broke the moment. Adne jumped slightly and pulled away abruptly, as if I’d burned her. We were both breathing hard and she looked a bit flushed. “He’s…hungry. The-the cat, I mean,” she stammered. “I’ll…go feed him.” She hurried to the door and quickly exited the room, the cat, Wheels, following eagerly behind her, meowing hideously the whole way.   
Adrenaline was pounding through my veins. Finally. I had finally gotten somewhere with her. My heart was still pounding from our little heated moment. She wanted me, I could sense it. Now, all I had to do was dig a little deeper, gain her absolute love and trust and then when she could think of nothing but me, go in for the kill.   
I smiled at the thought. Anyone from the Winter court who would have seen it, would say it looked exactly like Rowan’s.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, I awoke to find, gloriously, nearly three feet of snow on the ground. It was chilly in the room, not because I could feel the cold but because Wheels was curled up by my head, still fast asleep.   
I sat up and stretched, wondering if Adne was awake yet. It was still quite early. Pulling on a fresh shirt, pants, and boots, I decided to go hunting. A nice juicy squirrel sounded good, and my stomach growled in response.   
Out in the kitchen, Qui sat at the table, polishing her knife. She met my eyes as I entered the room and froze, simply staring at me. She did this often. It was a bit unnerving. After picking up my unspoken question, she blinked. “She’s in the paddock with her pony,” she said, going back to polishing her knife. I did not thank her. Saying that would merely indicate that I put myself in her debt, and I did not have any desire to do that.   
Outside, the clouds blocked out the sun, leaving a bleak and dreary atmosphere. I found Adne in the paddock, where Qui said she’d be, brushing down Badger. Calx stood a few feet away, nibbling on a weed he’d dug up from under the snow.   
“Sleep well?” I asked, keeping my voice light. She jumped slightly; I had forgotten mortals could not hear our footsteps in snow.   
She hesitated. “Yes,” she said curtly. “You?”  
Boy, we were icy this morning. Perhaps she’d had a nightmare…  
“Is something wrong?” I asked carefully, stepping up beside her.   
She turned to look at me, looking as if she wanted to murder something…or someone. “Your brother is what is wrong,” she whispered lowly, as if he might be nearby.   
Well, she wasn’t completely wrong, there. “What did he do?” Whatever it was, I probably shouldn’t be surprised.   
“I could not get one instant of sleep because of those two engaged in…certain activities,” she said angrily. “I was debating knocking a broom against the ceiling just to get Tabby to stop moaning like a dying animal.”  
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. So they’d reached that stage. Lovely. Rowan would be gloating all day. “Well, perhaps, they will keep to themselves from now on,” I suggested, knowing it wouldn’t happen, not in a long shot.   
Adne shook her head. “Tabitha will not leave me alone once she finds me. So that’s why I’m going to the hot springs. Where it’s warm, and isolated, and peaceful.” She hoisted a saddle off of the fence and onto Badger’s back. “You’re welcome to join me, if you like. Might be a nice vacation from the house and your brother.”  
It did sound rather nice. And did she say the hot springs were isolated? “I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” I said, smiling and going to tack up Calx. After Adne grabbed a sack of bread and cheese from the house and a couple of towels, we set off for the hot springs. Along the way, I managed to catch a squirrel, and Adne a bird. That ended up being our lunch. We didn’t speak much, just enjoyed each other’s company. At least, I hoped Adne enjoyed mine. She seemed a bit tense.   
“Am I a shitty kisser?” she blurted out of nowhere while we sat around a small fire, finishing off our lunch.  
I paused, my eyebrows raised in surprise. No, no she wasn’t. “Not at all,” I said, grinning at her. She blushed and dropped her eyes, finding the bone she was holding quite fascinating. I scooted closer to her and draped an arm over her shoulders. I wondered why she wasn’t shivering; she wasn’t wearing a heavy coat and it was at least in the low twenties.   
She leaned into me and tossed the bone into the fire. “I’ve never really been close to a boy before,” she began.   
“What about that boy in the dining hall – Cory, I believe his name was?” I tossed my squirrel bone into the fire as well.   
“Oh no! We’re simply friends. He’s never serious about anything.” She blew on her hands to warm them.   
“You seemed pretty close,” I mused, glancing at her.   
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re not jealous, are you?” she grinned.   
I glared at her.   
She laughed and stood. “Come on, the springs aren’t far.” I stood and we swung up onto our horses, Calx just finishing stuffing himself with small weeds poking up from the base of a tree which managed to escape the snow.   
We reached the springs a few minutes later. There was a big pool accompanied by smaller ones, all steaming and gray. Adne dismounted and led Badger over to a tree, where she tied her reins. I followed suit. Adne looked at me expectantly and I felt stupid for taking so long to realize she wanted me to either turn around or leave momentarily.   
I heard her laughter follow me as I retreated a few steps into the trees. I waited a few moments before an almost unbearable pull tugged at me and my eyes found themselves glancing through the branches. Adne pulled off her shirt to reveal a lean back decorated in scars. Her whole back was covered in them. My breath caught in my throat and I quickly looked away. Who did that to her? Anger roared through me and I ran a hand through my hair.   
“All right, you can come back, now!” she called. I stepped back out of the trees and walked up to the edge of the springs, where she treaded water. “Aren’t you coming in? Or is the prince of winter afraid of unfrozen water?” she grinned teasingly.   
I sat down at the edge. I wasn’t about to tell her I couldn’t swim. I’d never had a reason to learn; all the water in Tir Na Nog that we didn’t drink was frozen. “I think I’ll just sit here. The water looks a bit hot for me.”  
“Then maybe I should remove myself from it,” she said lowly, grinning at me and reaching out to pull on one of my boot laces, untying it.   
I felt my cheeks heat as I thought of Adne removing herself from the water. I swallowed and caught her hand in mine. “Who lashed you?” I asked quietly, giving her a look of concern.   
“You looked!” she gasped and splashed me with water. I startled, anticipating the searing heat, but strangely the water felt good against my skin.   
“I didn’t mean to be rude!” I protested. “My deepest apologies.”   
She smiled. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter now that you’ve seen them. And to answer your question, my father lashes me. Tabitha has them, too. Rowan probably knows that by now,” she told me.   
“That’s awful,” I said, and meant it. “I’m sorry…”  
She waved a hand. “It’s no big deal, he doesn’t do it anymore. It’s usually when he’s drunken stupid. But he’s refrained from that, as of late.”   
“I could skin him for doing that to you. Or maybe I’ll freeze him for a few centuries…” I suggested.   
“Ash, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” she said, squeezing my boot.   
The way she said my name…it rolled off her tongue like liquid. I swallowed. “How deep is the water?” I asked tentatively.   
She grinned deviously. “I’m standing on the bottom. It’s deeper in the middle, though. You should come in – the water’s fine.”  
“All right, don’t look,” I warned and she laughed, swiveling around so that her back faced me. I grimaced at it. She shouldn’t have those scars. I quickly removed my clothes and set them in a pile beside the pool. I quickly slid into the water, being careful not to splash her. The water was warmer than I first thought, but my body adapted quickly.   
She cheated and turned her head slightly. “Is it safe?” she asked, smirking slightly.   
“Yes, it’s safe,” I said, treading over to her. I had to trick my mind into thinking I wasn’t, in fact, going to drown, as my feet were touching the bottom.   
“What’s life in the Winter court like?” she suddenly asked. I let my surprise register on my face. Very few people actually asked and just assumed instead.   
“Well, it’s cold for one thing,” I began, and she smiled. “It’s also very brutal and unwelcoming to mortals and Summer fey. You can’t be too friendly with your lifelong enemies.”  
“So there’s no hope for an alliance?” she asked.   
“Not unless something bigger threatens both our realms,” I explained. “Other than that, Summer and Winter will forever be enemies.”  
“Has a Summer faerie ever fallen in love with a Winter? Or vice versa?” she asked, trailing a finger along my collarbone.   
“Once in a while,” I replied, shivering slightly. She didn’t stop.   
“What happens then?” she continued as she placed her hand on my chest, right over my heart. Her skin was warm and my heart picked up speed.   
“The couple is separated or asked to renounce their love,” I told her. It suddenly occurred to me how close we were. Our faces were inches apart and I could feel her breath on my skin. “And if they don’t, they’ll both be banished to the mortal world to live out the rest of their lives, and the Nevernever will be forbidden to them…” I said, as she leaned closer, her eyelids drooping as she brushed her lips against mine.   
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not a Summer faerie then,” she whispered.   
“Yes,” I agreed, trapping her lips with mine. She wasn’t hesitant this time, instead becoming more passionate, parting her lips as my tongue swept inside to brush against hers.   
I sucked on her lower lip and drew her against me, hearing her gasp as her body pressed against my own. The steam from the springs made us look flush, our cheeks pink. She let out a small sound and entwined her hands in my hair, tugging slightly. I gently touched her back, being careful not to hurt her, and she closed her teeth on my bottom lip.   
I let out a small groan as her hands found my face, our noses bumping together.  
“Well, isn’t this special?”   
Adne gasped and moved to cover herself. I felt the hottest wave of pure anger shoot through me as I quickly moved in front of her, facing Rowan as he stood on the bank, holding Tabitha’s hand, Adne’s sister looking like she’d just won a medal as she smiled a cruel smile.


	8. Chapter 8

“You followed us here, didn’t you?” Adne snarled, pulling her clothes to the water and moving behind a nearby boulder, quickly slipping in to them.   
“Actually we had intended to come here for a little…peace and quiet,” Tabitha replied arrogantly. “But, it seems you two beat us to it.” She gave her sister an unfriendly grin. “Shame really, my older, purer sister…such a shame. And a surprise, really. To think that you would act like such a whore,” Tabitha drawled. Adne looked positively livid. Perhaps, she would have murdered her right then and there had Rowan not stepped in.   
“Now, ladies, I’m sure we can work this out,” he said, grinning, amused.   
I quickly moved myself and my clothes behind the boulder as Adne had done and pulled them on quickly. Rowan wasn’t shutting up anytime soon, anyway.   
“I mean, look, we’re all here! Why not enjoy the springs…together?” he grinned deviously, earning a giggle from Tabitha and a very red faced Adne who looked like she was about to have an aneurism if she didn’t stab something.   
“I think we should go,” I said quickly, stepping up beside Adne and lightly touching her elbow. But instead of taking my hand she whirled and stalked off towards where we’d left our horses.   
“Come now, sister,” Tabitha was saying as she followed her. “You really think you can give your heart to him? He’ll never love you. He’s got better women in the Winter court, ones that aren’t so short tempered and uptight,” Tabitha continued in a lower voice.  
Adne froze in her movement of putting something in Badger’s saddle bag. Tabitha probably thought we couldn’t hear her words but fey hearing was much more keen than mortal hearing. And she was right. I would never love Adne. Not in the way she wanted.   
And female fey in the Winter court were very uptight and short tempered. Not as bad as Titania, though.   
Rowan watched the next scene play out with a smirk on his face, simply amused by the whole ordeal. I debated pushing him into the water but then decided against it. He’d surely murder me in my sleep.   
“What I do with him is none of your business, sister,” Adne said in a deathly low voice. “And you should speak for yourself, by the way. Might actually serve you well…” She grinned, and it was anything but friendly.   
“You don’t know anything about love!” Tabitha hissed, coming closer to Adne. “Rowan loves me and he’s made that perfectly clear!”   
Adne raised an eyebrow. “Does he love you, or your mouth on his –”  
Tabitha slapped Adne across the face, leaving a red mark behind and causing Adne’s face to snap to the side. Yet Adne didn’t falter or put a hand to her face. Instead, she simply looked at her sister in the eyes. If looks could flay a person alive, Adne’s would have done just that.   
“You think he’ll just leave everything for you? Just up and abandon his kingdom and kin? For love? Well, let me tell you something, dear sister,” Adne snarled, taking a step towards Tabitha. Tabitha’s breath hitched and she took a step back, then another, and another. Adne continued her advance.   
Adne’s voice had dropped so low I could barely hear her words. “He’ll never love you because he doesn’t know what love is. He will take your heart in his hand and slowly tear it to shreds until there is nothing left but ruin. That’s what they do. That’s what they all do. And heartbreak from them is worse than a bullet wound.”   
They were at the water’s edge now. Adne searched Tabitha’s eyes. Her whole body was tense, as if she were conflicted as to her next decision.   
Tabitha seemed to recover from a trance. “I think you’re just jealous of me,” she said, louder, intending for us to hear. “Jealous you haven’t experienced him in bed yet.” She smiled proudly.   
She may have intended to say more, but Adne growled and simply shoved her sister into the hot springs.   
Rowan actually had the decency not to burst out laughing. Instead, he rushed to the bank and quickly reached to pull Tabitha out. Luckily, Tabitha could swim so at least he didn’t have to dive headfirst in.   
Adne turned on her heel and stalked off. But Tabitha wasn’t finished. “Why don’t you speak for yourself, Adne!” she called after her sister, laughing.   
Adne didn’t answer. Instead, she continued walking away, angrily wiping tears from her eyes.   
Strangely, I felt sorry for her.


	9. Chapter 9

Back at the cabin, Adne retreated to her room alone, not speaking to me once. Disappointed, I hunted around in the kitchen for something suitable to eat. Finally, after rifling through several cupboards, I settled on some stale bread and cheese. I took them back to my room and paused when I passed Adne’s.   
From the other side of the door, I thought I heard the faint sounds of crying. Thinking I should be the concerned lover and go to her, I tentatively knocked on the door. “Adne, it’s me. What’s wrong? Won’t you let me in?”   
“Go away!” she snapped, her tears gone instantly. Silence followed her snappy reply and I drew back. Best not to bother her. So, I did as she asked. I’d speak with her later.   
But, deep down, I knew the reason for her tears.   
What she’d said to her sister, about my kind not being able to love, only destroy, Adne believed it. Perhaps, she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else. And now, she was crying.   
She’d finally fallen into my trap.   
She wouldn’t be weeping now if wasn’t. Somehow this notion did not make me satisfied. Adne was…different, than the other women I’d seduced and broken. She had a heart encased in stone. Stone that was only beginning to crack.   
If I tried to break her, I’d probably lose more than just my hair.   
****  
Adne did not join us for supper. I ate quickly, hoping to get away from Rowan and Tabitha as quickly as possible. Daniel looked rather annoyed but didn’t say anything as we ate. The only ones who spoke were Rowan and Tabitha, and Wheels who was hungry and wouldn’t shut up in the corner by his food dish.   
Daniel finally sighed and got up to feed the cat.   
After I’d finished, I headed back to my room, pausing again by Adne’s door. Silence greeted me and I supposed she was asleep. I pictured her, lying on her bed, dark hair splayed across the pillow like waves, her beautiful face illuminated by the moon…  
I suddenly realized my heart had picked up speed and my stomach started flipping itself, as if there were hundreds of butterflies inside. I shook my head and continued on to my room, wondering why I was experiencing these strange feelings. 

****  
As the days passed, Adne ignored me completely, as if I simply didn’t exist. I tried speaking to her, tried to get her attention, but she just…brushed me off.   
I grew frustrated. Frustrated at the fact that Adne knew I’d never love her, that she was completely ignoring me (I wasn’t used to being ignored just yet; you don’t simply ignore a Winter prince when they address you). Frustrated at the fact that we were stuck here in Welkin with a bunch of humans who smelled like coal, that Rowan seemed to be getting farther with Tabitha than I was with Adne, and at these strange feelings I was experiencing whenever I looked at Adne.   
One day in town when I’d decided to go look at the vendors along the main street, I spotted Adne standing near a post, watching the activity. She technically was one of the town’s police, so she was just doing her job, but I decided to try again anyway.   
I spotted a flower vendor a few feet away and made a beeline toward it. Girls loved flowers. (I don’t really know why; they always made Rowan and I sneeze – again a reason to hate the Summer court. Flowers everywhere.) I managed to get a beautiful red rose, the vendor seller almost tripping over one of her own bouquets in her attempt to aid me.   
Praying she wouldn’t turn me away again, I tentatively approached Adne, seeing her eyes move to watch me. She did not look happy. I hid the rose behind my back.   
“Hey,” I greeted, and she gave me a look like I was a cockroach. She didn’t respond. “I brought you something,” I tried again. Why were my hands trembling slightly?  
Her eyes softened a bit and she raised her eyebrows a little. I held the rose out to her and she hesitated a moment before reaching out to take it. She did not meet my eyes or thank me. She simply stared at it, and her lower lip trembled a bit before she clenched her jaw.   
“I guess I’ll…leave you to your work,” I said quietly, feigning hurt. I started to turn away when she lightly touched my elbow.  
“Ash, wait,” she said. I looked back at her and she tugged on my sleeve, pulling me away from the crowds and into an alcove. “I’m sorry…” she began, swallowing. “I don’t know your true feelings for me, but…I know that mine for you are real.” She took a breath. “And I hate it, because I know it would never work out because you’ll have to leave and the next time you come back I’ll be long dead and—”  
She didn’t get to finish her sentence because I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. She immediately melted into me, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me back. I backed her up until she was pinned to the wall and tightened my arms around her waist. She made a small sound before pulling back to look at me.   
“Adne, all I want is you,” I said, breathing hard. “Maybe I won’t return home, maybe I want to stay here with you,” I continued, giving her a small smile and leaning my forehead against hers.   
She took a breath and kissed me again, softly this time, making my heart stutter. “You’re not mad, then?” she asked, a hopeful glint to her eyes.  
“Why would I be angry with you?” I replied. “You’re the one who was angry with me.” I felt her nod.   
“I’m sorry, Ash. I was just…conflicted. I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I’m sorry.” She nuzzled her nose against mine and I smiled.   
“It’s all right, Adne,” I said, pressing my lips to hers again.   
“Hey, lovebirds!”  
I silently vowed to kill my brother one day.  
Pulling back, I made sure to show the annoyance on my face as I looked at Rowan, who was smiling like he’d just killed a cat. “What do you want?” I asked tightly. Adne glared at him, too, I could feel it.   
“There’s a messenger from court. He wants to speak with us,” Rowan’s tone had turned serious, and I frowned.   
“I’ll be right back,” I told Adne, and she smiled, nodding at me to go. Reluctantly, I followed Rowan through town to the stables, where a grim looking sidhe sat atop a black stallion, his unfriendly face marred by a nasty scar. I recognized him as Frostbite.   
“Your Highnesses,” he greeted, bowing his head. “I bring news from Queen Mab. She wants you back to court in three days.”  
I blinked and Rowan frowned. “Why?” he demanded. “We haven’t even been here a month!”  
“What’s going on, Frostbite?” I asked him.   
Frostbite grinned. “Summer sent in one of their spies to try and steal some of our goods. Needless to say, the whore didn’t last the night, after what Mab put her through. But…” he continued. “Mab has declared war on Summer, claiming Oberon has insulted her intelligence by thinking he can just send in a simple spy to steal what belongs to us.  
“She needs you two back to prepare for war,” Frostbite continued. “She has given you three days to finish your duties here and then depart.”  
Rowan’s eyes narrowed. “Tell her we will obey her command,” he said, his voice dark.   
I glared at the far wall. War with Summer. This would be the second time in a year. What would I tell Adne?  
I knew what I had to do. She’d proven today that she loved me. She’d made that perfectly clear.   
It was time.


	10. Chapter 10

That night, it felt as if the sky was holding its breath. Something did not feel right. It was as if the final breath was being drawn before the storm hit. I knew this feeling. It was like this before every war with Summer.   
I lay in bed, Wheels curled up beside me. I couldn’t sleep; I just lay there staring up at the dark ceiling, not being able to relax. I rolled over and tried to fall into the heavy oblivion I so welcomed many times. But my attempts were in vain.   
Finally, I gave up and rose from the bed, pulling on a fresh shirt and pants. I pulled my boots on as well, just because I hated walking around with just my socks on (you never know when something might bite you.) Heading down to the kitchen, I found myself thinking of Adne. She would be devastated when I finally pulled the plug in our “relationship”. It had to be done, though. The game was coming to an end.   
Adne was on duty in town tonight, and Rowan and Tabitha had snuck back to the hot springs to once again try and swallow each other, among other activities. Wheels suddenly padded into the kitchen, meowing loudly. He probably figured I’d come in here to feed him.   
When I ignored him, he meowed again and rubbed up against my legs, shedding black hair onto my boots.   
A tangy, almost gagging smell hit my nostrils at the same time Adne burst through the front door, looking as if she’d seen a ghost. “We’re being attacked!” was all she said urgently before racing to the back room to grab something in the closets, probably a sword or something of the sort.   
“By who?” I demanded. If Summer sent its warriors to loot the town that belonged to Winter…  
Adne turned to face me, holding a long, spear-like object. “Witches,” she said darkly, and moved back out to the kitchen toward the front door. “Come with me and bring your sword. We need all the help we can get.” When she stepped through the moonlight shining in from the window, I saw that the black spear-like object was not, in fact, a spear.   
It was a gun.   
****  
We raced at breakneck speed toward town, the awful scent clogging my nostrils the closer we got. When we reined in our mounts at the town center, all I saw was chaos. Dark cloaked things mounted on skeletal horses raged through the crowds, hacking through the humans like they were sick cattle. People screamed and ran in all directions, stupid in their panic. Children cried out for their parents, frozen in fear.   
It was a complete slaughterhouse. The smell was awful. Like fumes mixed with blood and rot. Adne did not flinch but urged Badger towards one of the dark riders, not slowing down and not yielding but letting go of the reins to take aim.   
The shot was almost deafening to my sensitive ears. I winced and Calx screeched in fear, tossing his head and prancing about, wanting to flee. I placed a hand on his neck and steadied him. I tried not to feel anything. If I felt any trace of fear, it would be all over and Calx would not be able to be controlled. His first instinct was to protect me, and if I was afraid, then that alerted him to flee and get me to safety.   
“Come on,” I urged him, digging my heels into his sides and drawing my sword as he leaped forward, charging through a break in the crowd toward one of the dark riders. The dark rider paused and turned to look at me, the scent dripping off of it like blood. It screeched and charged me head on, its mount a terrible creature of bone blackened by flame and rotting flesh.   
Calx pinned his ears and snorted as we swerved to the side, allowing me to aim downward with my sword, slicing the rider’s head clean off. The creature fell from its mount, the horse running into the crowd. To my horror, it picked out a plump looking man and, screeching in delight, charged and dug sharp teeth into the human’s throat, snapping it in half all before the man even had a chance to scream.   
What were these creatures? They had no order, no reason, just one instinct: kill. They were not from the Winter court, that was for certain. Only we were allowed to kill anyone of Welkin if it was necessary.   
I looked around wildly for Adne, and finally spotted her battling one of the riders over near a burning building. I urged Calx toward her and he obeyed – until he saw the fire. Then, he angrily pinned his ears, grabbed the bit between his teeth, and high tailed it the opposite way.   
This would not do. I pulled him to a halt and leaned to speak in his ear. “I won’t let it touch you. We have to help Adne and Badger,” I told him, his ears pricking at Badger’s name. “I won’t let the flames touch you. I promise.” He looked me in the eye and blinked slowly, showing a frightening intelligence.   
He must have trusted me because, nostrils flaring, he tossed his head and charged the rider battling Adne. Sweat lined her forehead and she clenched her teeth, swinging a hatchet around to meet the dark blade of the rider. She’d lost her gun somewhere, and I wasn’t about to stop and look for it now.   
Quietly as a snake, I pulled up behind the rider and heaved my sword through its back. It screamed a terrible scream and then went limp, falling from its mount, who turned to look curiously at Calx. Calx swiveled and furiously kicked the thing in the shoulder, causing a few exposed bones to crunch. The zombie horse grunted and fled, bucking as it went.   
Adne hopped off Badger and sheathed her hatchet. “There are people trapped in there!” she cried, turning to run into the burning building.   
Human’s loyalty to one another would be the death of them, one day. “Adne no!” I called, dismounting and running after her. The heat from the flames made me sweat and I swallowed, trying to conjure up a bit of glamour to put out the fire.   
Something was wrong.   
My glamour seemed to turn on me. The tips of my fingers were suddenly blue and sliced with pain. The chill I’d sent toward the flames turned and came at me, forcing me to jump and roll out of the way. I felt a laugh behind me and turned to see one last dark rider, cloaked in red and riding a white skeleton of a horse. The witch’s eyes were sickly green and its fist was clenched. These things could manipulate glamour.   
But I had to get to Adne. She was about to throw her life away for strangers. I’d never understand humans. I turned and sprinted toward her, but it was too late. She ran into the building, dodging flames. I screamed after her and tried to follow but the smoke filled my throat and burned my eyes so badly it forced them shut. Coughing madly, I backed away, hating this weakness. Hating that I couldn’t save her. Hating that fear raced through my veins at the thought that she might be dead.   
I felt for a throwing knife in my boot and, managing to open my eyes, hurled it at the red cloaked witch who’d dared to turn my glamour against me. The knife hit home, burying itself in the creature’s chest. The witch did not make a sound, however, as it slumped and hit the ground, dead.   
Several figures suddenly stumbled out of the burning building, which was about ready to collapse. It was the humans who’d been trapped inside. They ran, panicked in random directions.   
I looked toward the entrance to see a last figure stumble out onto the dirt, coughing. I ran to her, pulling one of her arms over my neck to support her. “They’re all out,” Adne coughed.   
“Why did you do that?” I demanded, pulling her well away from the building and setting her gently on the ground. “You could have died! I thought I…I thought I’d lost you!” I took her face in my hands and made her look at me. “Do you understand?”   
She nodded. “If I let them die, I’d never forgive myself and I might as well have joined the witches’ cause,” she rasped, then coughed violently.   
I sighed and scooped her up into my arms. “Don’t try to talk. Let’s get back to the house.” Calx waited patiently as I set her on his back. Badger trotted up and sniffed at Adne’s boot, glad that her master was all right.   
“Are all the witches gone?” Adne asked as I climbed up in front of her. She immediately wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned her head against my back. I tried to relax.  
“Yes,” I replied, steering Calx back toward home with Badger following close behind. Adne was silent the rest of the way home.


	11. Chapter 11

I laid Adne down on her bed and went to the kitchen to brew her some tea. I found some honey in the cupboard and added it to the liquid to help her throat. I was careful not to spill it as I made my way back down the dark hall. Rowan and Tabitha had not yet returned.   
Adne had removed her red cloak and laid it across a chair. Her boots were beside the bed, revealing her fluffy-socked feet. I set the mug down on her nightstand and perched on the edge of the bed beside her. She didn’t thank me for the tea. Smart girl.   
“You could have died tonight,” I began, pretending to sound worried.   
She shrugged. “We all die eventually,” she said flatly. She didn’t drop my gaze.   
Well, that was depressing. “What would I do without you?” I whispered, taking her hand and swallowing.   
Adne looked away. “Move on,” she said, her voice hard. Thankfully, she didn’t pull her hand from mine.   
“What if I couldn’t move on? What if I found no other reason to—” I began but she cut me off.   
“There is always another reason to live, Ash. Even if you feel as if you’re all alone and there’s no longer a reason for you to be alive, you’re wrong!” Her eyes were glistening with tears and I watched as one spilled over onto her cheek. “Don’t talk like that. Please.”  
I reached down with my thumb and brushed her lone tear away. “It would be awfully lonely living without you,” I said, letting my finger linger on her cheek. “Like I said earlier, maybe I don’t want to go home, maybe I’ll stay here, start new.” If I don’t choke on the smell of coal first, I thought.   
A long silence passed between us before Adne spoke. “Ash?” she said quietly.   
I waited, holding my breath.   
“I think I love you,” she whispered.   
There it was. Those three words that sealed her fate. My heart soared, with the fact that I was winning this game or something else, I didn’t know. “Really?” I said, my voice squeaking a bit. That wasn’t planned. I winced inwardly. How embarrassing.   
Her eyes watered again and more tears spilled over. “No, I know I love you,” she whispered. She squeezed my hand and I took her cue, leaning down and pressing my lips to hers. She opened up for me, wrapping her arms around my neck and deepening the kiss. I let my hands go where they wanted, slipping up under her linen shirt. She shivered and I caught her bottom lip between my teeth.   
The only thing that stopped us from going any further was the sharp knock on the door. I swore under my breath and pulled away, but only just a little. “If that’s Rowan…” I began but then Daniel’s voice interrupted me.   
“Dinner is ready if you two are,” he said, somehow sounding like he was holding back laughter.   
How did he know I was in Adne’s room!? I pulled back and sighed. “We keep getting interrupted, don’t we?” I said, smiling.   
Adne smiled and sat up, kissing me again. “Perhaps we should try the hot springs again,” she whispered in my ear. I shivered again.   
“Maybe after dinner,” I said, then rose from the bed and headed for the door. I looked back at her to see her smiling. She looked beautiful, I admitted. I smiled back and headed out the door to the kitchen. Adne soon followed behind, having adjusted her shirt back in place.   
Unfortunately, Rowan saw the look on my face, and Adne’s and grinned. It was anything but friendly. “So, you two uh, have fun?” he asked, taking a sip of warm liquid from a mug.   
Mab wasn’t around, and she never believed Rowan’s complaints anyway, so this time I proudly flipped him the bird. Needless to say, the look on Rowan’s face could’ve both wilted a field of roses and made a drunken man laugh at the same time.


	12. Chapter 12

The next two days were fairly normal and laid back. Adne worked her shifts in town, helping to facilitate the reconstruction of the building that had burned down, which I found out later had been a hotel.   
Rowan and Tabitha disappeared to the hot springs, and on the night they returned, suspicious looking bruises turned up on my brother’s neck. They looked like teeth marks. Human teeth marks.   
I hunted, caught several squirrels and a few birds. Adne and I had been separated because of extra hours she was assigned in town, and I found myself growing anxious. On the second evening, I paced around the house, bored and debating whether or not I should challenge Rowan to a sparring match. Deciding against it, I resorted to snooping around in the cupboards in the room where Adne kept her gun.   
I stopped when I came upon one cupboard. Inside were a few bottles of several types of alcohol, a couple cans of soup, and a small, dusty looking bottle nearly hidden in the back of the cupboard. I frowned and reached in to pull it out. The glass bottle was slick and I nearly dropped it. Inside, a black substance resided, slightly warm inside the bottle.   
I turned the bottle over and over, trying to figure out what it was. I’d never seen anything like it before. All the healer’s potions and medicines were brightly colored, some looked like milk or were transparent. This was strange. Foreign.   
I quickly placed it back in the cupboard when I heard the front door open and footsteps enter. I recognized them as Adne’s. Heart pounding, I headed back into the kitchen. Adne removed her cloak and draped it over a chair, smiling when she saw me.   
“Saddle up your horse. I want to show you something,” she said, already heading back out the door.   
“What is it?” I asked, suddenly curious. I followed her outside and began to tack up Calx, who tried nibbling at my shirtsleeve again.   
“You’ll see,” she said, swinging up on Badger and waiting until I finished. The moon was full tonight, its brilliance creating a halo of silver around Adne. I caught myself staring and quickly looked away.   
When I swung up on Calx, she nodded for me to follow and urged Badger to the left, farther into the valley. I followed her and we rode for about a half hour until we came to a small pond, wide open grass beyond. Adne pulled Badger to a halt and she dismounted. I followed suit and looked out into the field.   
I looked at Adne and frowned. “Is this it? A field?” I asked her.   
“Just wait,” she said, taking my hand. I laced our fingers together.   
Suddenly, the field, for at least half a mile, lit up with small little yellow lights. I took in a sharp breath. Adne smiled and reached out to catch one of the fireflies in her palm. It waited, sitting in her hand. But then, it saw me and flew off to join its friends.   
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Adne asked, squeezing my hand.   
I nodded. “Yes,” I replied, turning to face her. She looked into my eyes and I saw for a moment what I had seen in Brynna’s eyes just before I ended the game. But then, then it disappeared from Adne’s face, and her eyes were hard once more.   
She stepped forward and leaned against me, watching the fireflies. “Why can’t everything be this peaceful?” she asked, and I enveloped her in my arms, resting my chin on her head. It occurred to me that she did not know I was going to be leaving tomorrow. I took in a breath.   
“Adne…I have to tell you something,” I began, and she tensed. “Queen Mab has called my brother and I back to court because of an upcoming war with the Summer court. We are to depart tomorrow.”  
She pulled back, but only enough to look at my face. “I thought you wanted to stay here,” her tone was accusatory. I winced.   
“I wish I could, but I cannot refuse an order from my queen,” I told her. “If I refused a simple order like this, she would question why and if I told her…horrible things would happen.”  
Adne hesitated, searching my face. “Like what?” she said, even though she knew the answer.   
I sighed. “I would be banished from the Nevernever, probably. Or worse,” I gave her a sad smile. “We would never see each other again.” I reached out to brush a strand of hair form her face. A firefly flew in front of her and lit up, illuminating her face with gold.   
“So, you really are leaving, then?” she whispered, her eyes glistening. I nodded. But she did not break down in tears. Instead, she simply leaned forward and kissed me. “Then tonight, I want you all to myself,” she whispered, her breath warm against my ear.   
“We should probably…head back to the house,” I said, stumbling over my words.   
We climbed up on our mounts and raced across the field, letting Badger and Calx run like they were born to run, letting the sharp night wind kiss our faces and tug at our hair. This was the last time Calx would race Badger. I supposed he’d be disappointed.   
When we arrived back at the house, we unsaddled, and headed inside. We somehow ended up in Adne’s room, but still standing and about five feet from each other. My heart pounded and I watched Adne as she awkwardly stood there, watching me. I wondered for a moment if she knew how this worked.   
But then, she slowly approached me and leaned up, pressing her soft lips to mine. The kiss was calm at first, but soon escalated into something wild and filled with fire as she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck. I backed her up against the wall and caught her knee, bringing her leg up to wrap around my waist. She groaned and bit down gently on my lip.   
She managed to unbutton and shrug my shirt from my shoulders, and I trailed a path of kisses down her neck, stopping to nip at her skin. We eventually ended up on the bed, our bodies dancing and twining together in a dance of passion and fire. The moonlight made her skin look silver and I entwined our fingers together as we finally joined. She whimpered and I fought to be gentle. I trembled with the effort but at least I wasn’t hurting her terribly. The first time was always the most painful.   
Tomorrow would be the day I broke her heart and ended the game. Tomorrow would be the day I revealed my true nature, my true self, and became the monster Adne had come to believe I was not. I was no different from my brother, or my mother, or any other creature born of Winter. I was a monster. I was a demon. I was a prince of Winter with the absence of a soul and the ability to love.   
I would win this game. But, for tonight, I would let Adne think that I loved her.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning was dreary and cold. I rose before Adne, pulling on my clothes. I had to admit, she looked beautiful, lying there under the covers, her hair like liquid as it splayed over the pillow. Her cheeks were slightly rosy. I looked away.   
Being careful not to wake her, I pulled on my boots and quietly exited the room, heading back to my own to gather my belongings. When I was finished, I did not bother to look around the room one more time. There was no need; I would not be returning here.   
Down in the kitchen, Daniel stood polishing a knife at the counter, his back to us. Rowan stood waiting patiently for me, Tabitha nowhere in sight. Strange. Perhaps Rowan had already pulled the plug and I was going to lose my hair after all.   
“You’re off early,” Daniel commented.   
“We don’t wish to cause you any trouble,” Rowan drawled, meaning the exact opposite. He turned and headed outside, not bothering to thank Daniel for his hospitality. Doing so would only put Rowan in Daniel’s debt.   
Outside, Qui and the Thornguards sat upon their horses, patiently waiting for us. We swung up on our already-tacked up horses and made to depart. I knew Adne would wake and follow us. We had to go through town anyway, so she had a little time.  
As we headed through town, the people who were awake simply stared at us with blank or disappointed faces. They weren’t stupid enough to act delighted.   
We were just on the edge of leaving town when I heard two pairs of running footsteps behind us. We halted our horses and I dismounted and turned to face Adne as approached me. She came to an abrupt halt when she saw the icy glare I shot her, as if she were merely dirt on the ground.   
“Ash, what…what’s wrong?” she asked, panting slightly. I had to give her credit if she’d just sprinted all the way through town to follow me. I didn’t answer, just continued to glare at her.   
Tabitha came up beside her sister, opening her mouth to say something, probably to Rowan. I risked a glance at him and saw the cruelest smirk on his face. “Ash, what is going on? You didn’t even say good b—”  
“Forget it, human,” I snapped. “I’m not going to waste my time saying good bye to a lowly human I never cared about.” I looked at her with pure loathing, as if she were a major inconvenience and more.   
Rowan laughed. “That’s a bit harsh, Ash,” he said, grinning.   
Tabitha frowned and stepped forward. “Rowan, w—”  
“Oh, shut up!” Rowan said, disgusted. “I’m sick of you and your petty little feelings for me. I never shared them, anyway, so forget me and us and leave! Don’t even get me started on how you kept biting me during our—,”  
“Adne, there was nothing between us,” I interrupted him. “Go home. Forget about me and my kind. We’re incapable of love, anyway.”  
I watched as her eyes watered and her lip trembled. At the same time Tabitha covered her mouth and looked away to hide her own tears. Adne shook her head. “Y-you can’t mean that…” she began, fighting to stay composed. “You said…”  
I scoffed. “I never said I loved you. And I’ll never say it. Why would I fall in love with a human?” I watched as a single tear crawled down her cheek. Tabitha was having some sort of breathing problem, her hands covering her mouth and tears streaking down her cheeks as she gasped, fighting not to break down. But it was too late. They were both broken. Their eyes said it all.   
I turned and mounted back up onto Calx. Rowan gave one last disgusted look at both girls and steered his horse away. I followed close behind, the Thornguards spread out around us. I made the mistake of looking back one time at Adne, making sure to paint disgust all over my face.   
Apparently, I’d missed the gun earlier; she must have hid it in her cloak. Adne stood, her shotgun pointed straight at me, pure hatred lining her eyes that for a moment, I didn’t recognize her.   
Panic shot through me as I remembered the loudness of the bang. I didn’t have time to react. A strange, almost mocking smile pulled at Adne’s lips a second before she pulled the trigger…  
Pain like none I’d ever felt before shot through my side and I howled in agony, falling from Calx, who reared at the bang. My ears rung and I saw out of the corner of my eye Rowan’s horse jolt in fear, tossing his head and rearing. The Thornguards moved in front and around Rowan and Qui could only stare at me in shock.   
Adne lowered the gun and spoke. “You know where to find me when you need the cure,” she said, smiling like a snake. Anger roiled in my gut, besides the agonizing pain that had my vision spinning.   
Damn her.   
She’d blackmailed me.   
And I’d fallen for it.   
Like a gullible little…human.


	14. Chapter 14

All I knew was pain. And darkness. I floated in and out of consciousness, only vaguely aware of being raced back to the Winter court, the horses jostling gallop and the guard’s tight hold on me making me sick to my stomach.   
I think I blacked out about five times. We didn’t stop until we reached the borderline of winter territory in the Wyldwood. Then, someone decided to rest because the horses were nearly run to exhaustion, and it would do us no good if they all collapsed. I remember being set on the ground underneath a tree with a cloak draped over me. I was so warm. I liked the feel of the cold against my skin.   
Someone had tried to bandage my wound but that only made it hurt worse. Calx stood watching over me, and didn’t even flinch when I rolled to the side and puked up my guts. I don’t remember anything between then and the next time I opened my eyes, which was in my bedroom.   
A single candle sat on my nightstand, throwing the room into shadows. I blinked heavily and turned my head to the side. A healer was speaking heatedly to a figure cloaked in shadow, which I soon recognized as my mother.   
“Apparently, the bullet just skimmed his side, so it is not physically in him. Yet, he’s lost a lot of blood and there was something the bullet was coated with…I do not how to help him further, Your Majesty. All we can do now is keep cold rags on him to bring down the fever…” the healer said, clearly worried, whether for her life if she couldn’t save me or mine.   
“Do what you can for him,” Mab said lowly, fear lacing her voice ever so slightly.   
I blacked out a moment later.   
*****  
I don’t know how long I slept. Minutes, hours, days, years? All I knew when I woke again, was that I was very warm and it felt as if my blood and bones had been set on fire. Even my eyes burned. Panic laced through me, which only intensified the pain.   
I whimpered and tried to calm down, but every time I opened my eyes all I felt was fire. “It’s all right, brother,” a calm, low voice said to my left. I quickly glanced over, the act of turning my head taking great effort.   
“The healers are doing everything they can,” Sage murmured, taking a freezing cloth and placing it on my forehead. It felt so good. I closed my eyes again.   
The next time I awoke, not only did I still feel on fire, but now it felt as if I was made of lead. It took all the effort in me to move my eyes over to see Rowan sleeping in the chair beside my bed. I had only seen him sleep a couple times in my life, and both times he’d been having a nightmare, his face contorted in a frown.   
Now, sadness was etched like a carving all over his face. I swallowed and let oblivion take me again…  
“He’s been out of it for about three days,” I heard the healer say when I opened my eyes for what felt like a thousand years later. Only three days? I almost didn’t believe her, but then I remembered the Fey couldn’t lie.   
“There is no cure that we have access to,” the healer continued. “He doesn’t have much time left, Your Majesty.”  
“Then find one!” Mab snapped, being sure to keep her voice down. “I will not lose my son like I lost—” she cut herself off.   
I suddenly remembered something a certain girl I’d tried to break said to me before she walked away. “Wait,” I said sluggishly, and both Mab and the healer jumped about three feet in the air.   
Mab rushed over to me and felt my forehead, then quickly drawing her hand back. “You need to rest,” she said, her tone soft.   
“But…I know where to…find the cure,” I said, resisting sleep. “Adne…has it…” This was becoming difficult.   
“Who is Adne?” Mab asked, gently smoothing back my hair.  
“In Welkin…Adne has the cure…”   
And I was out once again.


	15. Chapter 15

I woke up to darkness and shadows. I woke up to see a beautiful girl sitting beside me on the edge of the bed, holding a small bottle with inky black liquid in it. I woke up to see the beautiful girl who’d shot me sitting beside me in my room.  
“What do you want?” I rasped before I remembered that Adne had the cure.  
“I want you to shut it and let me do my job, your Highness,” she said coldly, putting emphasis on the word ‘Highness’.  
“Fuck you,” I said, too weary to sound threatening. I glared at her but my eyes still burned and she was a bit blurry. I remembered what she said about how Infected ones’ eyes melt out of their sockets.  
“Yes, you already did that,” she said, holding back laughter. I blushed, which only made my face burn hotter. “Your queen sent guards to Welkin and they came to our door. I already knew what they wanted. I’m surprised it took this long.” I closed my eyes and groaned. Adne quickly got to work, cutting away the bandages wrapped around my side first, then proceeding to clean the wound with rubbing alcohol, which made me pass out again.  
When I awoke a few moments later, Adne dipped some of the black liquid onto a rag and pressed it against the heart of my wound. It hurt like a bitch for only a moment before a strange tingling replaced it, eventually numbing my whole side. The burning in my veins subsided and I could finally open my eyes for more than ten seconds.  
When she was done, Adne spread a thick salve over the wound and wrapped fresh bandages around me. I found myself watching her. “Why are you doing this?” I asked her.  
She didn’t answer for a moment while she packed up her supplies and placed them in a small satchel. Then, she met my eyes. She would have fit right in with the Unseelie based on how cold her eyes looked. “Because I’m not such a savage as to let you die, Ash. I did care about you, at one point, even though I promised myself I wouldn’t.” She looked away. “But, it doesn’t matter now. You’ve proven to me that your kind is truly incapable of love in any way.”  
“So, you were playing me the whole time, as well?” I asked, incredulous. I couldn’t believe her.  
“Of course,” she replied. “What better way to see how you would try to manipulate my feelings?”  
I should have used glamour on her. But, that was against the rules of the game. I was utterly struck speechless. I finally managed to say, “well, you sure acted like you were in love with me.”  
She smiled like a badger. “Have you forgotten, Ash,” she said. “Humans are excellent liars.” She stood and made for the door.  
“Adne…” I said, not really knowing what I wanted to say.  
She paused at the door but did not look at me. “Yes?”  
“I…” What Ash? What do you want to say to her? “…nothing.”  
“I wish you well, your Highness,” she said, her voice devoid of emotion. Then, Adne pulled the door open and left. She didn’t look back.  



	16. Epilogue

I healed quickly. Life in the Winter court moved on, as usual. Rowan was back to his old self, throwing me icy glares when Mab wasn’t looking and going about flaunting his status. Sage stayed by Mab’s side as we prepared for war with Summer.   
I left to go hunt in the Wyldwood one day before our departure for the Reaping Fields. As Calx and I walked through the trees near the border of Tir Na Nog, I spotted something on the ground. Carefully, I approached in and my breath caught in my throat.   
It was a red rose, untouched by the brutal snow and winter, standing out like a drop of blood against the white. Lying next to it was a dead firefly, its light completely gone, never to rise again. I looked around, expecting to see her standing among the trees.   
I caught a glimpse of a dirt-stained red cloak and a badger faced mare disappearing into the trees before the woods were silent and empty once more.   
That was the last I saw of Adne.


End file.
